The Night Light

What father hasn’t been jolted out of bed by the cries of their child racked by nightmares?

Nightmares of gross monsters under the bed, or evil bad men hiding in the dark corners of the room, possibly a wicked witch flying around the ceiling deep enough into the darkness that they could not be easily seen.

What father has not calmly sat beside their frightened child with the lights on to convince them that there is nothing in these places?

The dark of the night seems to bring out the worst in the minds of our children. Thoughts so vivid they are undoubtedly real to the small child.

I remember some of these dreams from my childhood. Although I now blame much of my fear of the dark upon the original Kind Kong movie I saw on television one night with my older brothers and sisters. Though a fantasy, my older siblings did what they could to convince me it was real, that fear ran deep in my mind for many years.

Most of these nightmares are generally harmless and in most cases the ultimate answer to the problem is very simple.

   The Night Light.

The night light is an amazing invention. A very small wattage light bulb, with some cover, usually a theme known to the child as positive, e.g.: Toy Story, Cinderella, Dora the Explorer, etc; plugged into an electrical socket in plain view of the child.

This devise provides just enough light to supply a measure of comfort but not enough to prevent sleep.

A child awakened by uncomfortable dreams is reassured by the light that all is the same as when they said their night time prayers. The comfort of this simple light is enough to quell the fears, in most cases, and the child returns to their much needed slumber.

In our older children, we as parents often play the role of the night light in their lives. As the pressures of school or work build, thought of potentially devastating outcomes take the place of these childhood nightmares. Often these thoughts are not any more real than the proverbial monster under the bed, but our child needs reassurance.

As fathers we provide insights into the real situation that our children often face. We can speak in love and out of experience to the logical outcomes and the long term impact of many perceived issues.

In effect, we become the night light to our older children.

Likewise, we as parents, sometimes face monsters of our own. In these cases where do we turn? What options do we have?

  I believe the answers to both of these questions in our relationship with God. Like the frightened child we often see in limited ways during our times of darkness. We awaken to what we perceive as a true situation and we cry out for help. All the while God is there providing the light that will calm our fears. Reminding us that things are not what we think. He is in control and we can rest in his light.

Our job is to understand this simple truth and teach it to our children so they can live a healthier and happier life, free from the monsters under the bed.

En Servicio Como Padre