It was around 8:45 tonight when Sammie came knocking on my bedroom door. Wrapped in her purple Tinkerbell blanket she entered in with tears running down her face. A few steps back was her big sister Maiya. I asked if everything was OK?? Through tears Sammie said...no. I want someone to lay with me. I'm scared and feel all alone. Auntie RoRo will you please come and lay with me?? I stopped what I was doing and told her that I would meet her and Maiya back in their room to read them a story out of the bible. She wiped the tears from her eyes and walked back towards her room and said OK. I walked across the room to grab my bible and prayed...Lord, lead me to a passage of scripture that would teach them and remind them that they are never alone. That you are always with them and watching over them. Speak through me and into the hearts of these precious little girls. In Jesus Name!
I walked into their room and found them laying in bed, all covered up and waiting to hear a story. Maiya quickly asked me, What are you going to read to us?? I opened up my bible to the following passage:
Psalms 139:1-18
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
You are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.
You hem me in-behind and before;
You have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
If I settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there your hand will guide me,
Your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me."
Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day,
For darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother's womb,
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full and well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with you.

I kissed the girls on their foreheads and said good night and then went back to my room. About five minutes passed and I went back in to check on them, there they were...quietly sleeping.

I sit here right now and my heart is full of graditude. THANKFUL for the way that God showed up tonight.
*Thankful for the unexpected opportunity to put the kiddos to bed.
When I read them that passage of scripture tonight I couldn't help but feel like I was the child that came walking into the room. I was the one wrapped up in the purple blanket feeling the same things Sam Sam was feeling. Much like Sammie I need to know that someone was near if even for just a brief moment while I fell asleep or even when I was awake.

*Thankful for the chance to sit and walk slowly through that verse.
I couldn't help but feel in that moment as I sat and read each sentence one by one that God was speaking into my heart and saying..I AM all seeing and all knowing, Rachelle. I am leading and guiding you even in the times of darkness, because with me there is no darkness.

*Thankful for the chance to see the power of Gods word at work.
They fell asleep tonight knowing with confidence that God was going to watch over them and I'm happy to say that I will be doing the exact same thing!:-)