Soul Food

What Your Heart Needs to Hear When You Are Afraid

Elisha

 

“Okay sugars, get settled down and crawl underneath the covers. It’s time to go to sleep.” Immediately the giggling stopped and her body language changed as she looked up at me and said, “But its dark outside. I don’t like the dark.” 

Hearing the worry and fear in her voice, I pulled the covers up and underneath her tiny chin, only to notice it start to quiver. Unable to find the right words, I try to convince her that everything will be okay. I remind her that Daddy and I are here, as well as Jesus, and together we will protect her.

Unsure if my words would be enough, I slowly walked towards the door, and as I did, I heard her sigh and say once more, “But I don’t like the dark.”  Heartbroken and feeling helpless, I looked back and said, “I know sugars; but soon, when you least expect it, the sun will come and a new day will be here. It’s a promise. Until then, I am here to protect you. So close your eyes and get some rest.” 

While turning out the light, I heard her say once more in a soft, quiet whisper, “Mommy? I still don’t like the dark.”

Realizing I was unable to quiet her fears, I slowly walked out of her room and closed the door. I continued my nightly routine of picking up the toys, wiping down the kitchen counter, and turning out the lights before passing by her room once more and pressing my ear against the door. Hoping to hear the sounds of a sleeping child, I instead heard her toss and turn before letting out yet another deep sigh.  Feeling helpless, I closed my eyes, dropped my shoulder and leaned up against the door.

She had only ten more hours until the sun would rise once again and she could play. Only ten more hours until she would feel safe again. It was only ten more hours; but to her, it felt like an eternity.

I walked away and down the hallway that night trying to figure out what was so terrifying about the dark.  Maybe she had a bad experience? Perhaps she just felt alone? Or maybe it’s just a typical childlike fear? 

But as I sat on the edge of my bed, trying to come up with reasons and possible solutions, I realized we are all afraid of the dark. Our “dark” just might look like something else.

And that “something,” whatever it might be, is the one thing that keeps us up at night.

It causes us to whisper words of fear and worry; makes us uncomfortable and unable to relax. It causes us to toss and turn. And it makes our chin quiver.

You know what your “something” is don’t you?

But friend, I want you to listen carefully to my heart and let my words soak into your soul because I have faith to believe that it’s going to be okay. You are going to be okay. It won’t always be this hard. It won’t always feel this overwhelming, or painful, or stressful or even difficult. The moments of sadness and uncertainty won’t always be around. The struggles you find yourself in will not last forever.

They won’t.

They can’t.

So sweet friend, I don’t know what has brought you to my safe place with my heart written out for you in words, but I want you to have hope. Hope to believe that relief is on the way. Because there is one thing I know to be true and that is life has a way of always moving forward. Clocks have a way of continuing to tick. Calendars seem to always flip. And just as the night seems unbearably long, yet always ends in dawn; so will the troubles you find yourself in at this moment.

Therefore today, this afternoon, or later tonight, when fear takes over and your chin starts to quiver, and tears slowly begin to form in your eyes, and you find yourself quietly whispering, “I don’t like the dark;” I want you to know that your Heavenly Father is standing at the door of your heart calmly whispering back, “I know sugars, but soon, when you least expect it, My Son will come and a new day will be here. It’s a promise. Until then, I am here to protect you. So close your eyes and get some rest.” 

With Love

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33 thoughts on “What Your Heart Needs to Hear When You Are Afraid”

  1. We all have a something that keeps us up at night, particularly in the IF/RPL community. It’s a nice reminder that there is hope and love and someday all of this might just not seem so bad.
    Love to you my friend.

    1. Yes sugars 🙂 I have hope to believe that there is a light at the end of this tunnel. Hugs and much love to you as well sugars! xo

  2. Beautiful, comforting words, sweet Elisha. May God bless you with a wonderful new year filled with many blessings!! Your little gift is almost ready! Hooray. 🙂 Be looking for it in your mail soon!

    1. ahhh thank you so much Cheryl! You are so sweet! I can’t wait to check the mail and open your package 🙂 xo

  5. Thanks for this, I needed it. I am very afraid of my dark right now and it is literally keeping me up at night. But you are right, there has to be light at some point.

  6. This was such a beautiful, much needed post for me right now. I read it almost as a lullaby, so comforting. I’ve been so stressed and down lately, I just feel so completely out of control and unsure of everything that will happen this month, and in the months to come. It seems like everything lately has been a huge stop sign or detour, and everything just keeps getting pushed further and further away just when I think things are working out. It’s nice to have all of you ladies here to help give love and reassurance.
    On another note…sadly I still have nights where I fear the dark too! I attribute it to an over-active imagination. So often when I get up in the night to go to the bathroom, I’m afraid that on my way back to bed something will reach out from the dark and get me! Irrational, I know lol. Maybe you can get your little one a night light or something to help her out?
    PS~ She’s absolutely adorable! I love her!!!

    1. sadly this is an every night thing…she is always talking about the dark. In fact, when it gets dark around here at 5:30, she starts talking about it and how she doesn’t like it. We have four night lights in her room and she sleeps with a flashlight stuffed animal. In addition, we keep the light on in the hallway and bathroom. There is not much else I can do :/

  10. Oh my goodness! That was beautiful and exactly what i needed to hear tonight! The Lord really used your blog to speak right to my heart! Praise God!

  11. Such a beautiful post my friend! In fact it brought me to tears because you speak the truth! I am hoping 2015 brings us a new chance and renewed hope.

  12. I can’t imagine that hopeless feeling you felt, but I’m grateful for you and your heart. So for whatever keeps you up at night, whatever your dark is, I hope you feel a crazy amount of peace tonight, friend! 🙂

    1. Thanks so much girlie! So far, this has been our conversation every night for months. I’m not so sure what it is about the dark but I am praying that soon, her fears will settle. xo

  16. Thank you so much this spoke right to my heart. We had a bfp after our first ivf but last week (6wk6day) they didn’t find a heartbeat. Tomorrow we go to confim whether it’s a missed miscarriage or not. I’ve been feeling so hopeless. But I’m thankful for your true words. The sun will come up again.

    1. Oh I have totally been where you are and I know how heartbreaking it is. It basically sucks for a lack of a better word. But I am so thankful that these words spoke to your heart. Keep trusting and believing in the One who makes all things new. The One who makes all things possible. I’m praying for you sugars and believing that SOON, you will be a joyful mother of children according to Psalm 113:9. xo

  17. This sentence is a wonderful reminder, “The moments of sadness and uncertainty won’t always be around. The struggles you find yourself in will not last forever. They won’t. They can’t.”
    Thank you for always supporting this entire community. You are an inspiration Elisha…thank you for always being there for us during our struggles…xoxo

  18. Lovely, comforting post – thank you. One of my favourite quotes (from Shakespeare) is: ‘Time and the hour run through the roughest day…’ – it’s got me through some rough days in my time. This seemed to chime with what you said about clocks having a way of keeping on ticking… Nothing stays the same forever, feelings change over time, so if you feel intense despair or fear in this moment, it will pass given time & change into something else: peace and acceptance, with God’s help. As for me, right now what’s keeping me going is the thought of the darkness of an English winter being replaced by the joys of spring in the coming months – bring on the crocuses, daffodils & bluebells!

  19. That atory was so comforting! You laways have a way pulling at my heartstrings…and making me think!!

    1. oh wowzas! It’s been forever since I have been nominated! Thank you sweets! I’ll head on over and check it out 😉 xo

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