Psalm 91

My little guy, has had night frights since he was very little. Sometimes it has been about a pancake, the cat in the hat, a sister, fighting 'bad guys'... Sometimes we have no idea what he's scared of & it's hard to wake him up or comfort him. One night, he was picking the shadows his window cast out of the air and eating them - eyes wide open - fast asleep.
It's become even more of a challenge since Gage started sleeping with him. Gage is an extremely light sleeper & i can imagine that it must be terrifying to hear all that thrashing, moaning and calling out in the night. When my mother in law was last here, i was talking to her about this problem & she told me to read Psalm 91 with Charter at night before he goes to bed. Now, bedtime at our house is *not* a strength. By bedtime, i'm bagged. If i could quit one little tiny part of motherhood, it would be bedtime (and cleaning bathrooms). i'd love to retire it to daddy. i lack patience at bedtime because (i'm selfish) i'm longing for a little time with Neil. An uninterrupted conversation... or a few moments of silence... snacks in bed... watching a tv show... i kept forgetting to add this Psalm to our night time routine of, "jammies, teeth, pee" - but last night i remembered...
i called Charter & Mollen (who has trouble sleeping without daddy) into my room, tucked the blankets around their little toes & pulled out my bible & we read this Psalm:

Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Then we prayed together - & i sent them to bed.
Gage woke at 3am 'cause he had a rumbly in his tumbly - but the other 2 slept through. Maybe it's a coincidence... & maybe it won't happen again tonight - but i have no doubt that putting God's word in their hearts and minds at bedtime can only bring good things.