Bad Dream Battles

It's something like 16 minutes before midnight and I'm amazed by the fact that two smaller than mine feet haven't hit the floor and raced the twenty feet from her bed to mine.  It happens so often that I take it for granted and then I'm surprised when it doesn't.

"I had a dream" are usually her words.  Sometimes it's simply that she is cold.  Or lonely.  Or just awake.

I pull back the comforter, slider over and welcome her in.  As I feel her warmth I start to drift off, but wait, I should pray with her.

So I begin to pray, knowing that bad dream battles are ones for Jesus to fight on her behalf.  But somewhere between "Lord, thank you that we can come to you anytime and any place..." and "Amen" I sometimes (often?) drift back to sleep.

I awaken to a nudge and a reminder that I haven't finished praying.  I try to string powerful words of prayer together but far too often drift to my own dream land again.  As a mama, I have to say that I am thankful that God knows my every unspoken word.  Because in those night time minutes I couldn't really tell you if I'm interceding for my child or asking God for a car that I don't want.

Both of my kids have had good giggles over my half asleep prayers.  Miss E will say in her astonished preteen voice "Mom, you actually said 'be with the clowns' or 'thank you for the canned...canned...sticks" and I just giggle because I probably did.

The thing is, in that night time moment I am acknowledging something so much bigger than my ability to pray.  I am acknowledging that God created both the ability to dream and the power to fight the bad dream battle for her.

What a huge relief for this tired mama.