Jersey #1 has been having nightmares about our house catching on fire. I knew the first one had to be pretty intense, because she came to our bed in the middle of the night, all upset, and slept the rest of the night with us. She has not done that in many years.
I remember having similar nightmares when I was a kid. I was a bit older than she is. I think I was in 5th grade at the time. I remember the nightmares being so terrifying that I talked with my parents about them quite a lot. When the fire department did their annual inspection of our home (we were a military family, and fire inspections were common in military housing), my Mom told the firemen about my nightmares. They left her the message to assure me that our house was free of fire hazards, and had all of the appropriate fire safety items, such as working smoke detectors. They left me a fire safety coloring book, pencil, and stickers.
As nice as it was for the fire fighters to reassure me like that, I actually found the most comfort in the way my Dad handled my fears and nightmares. When I would wake up terrified from a nightmare, I would go to my parents' room and wake them up to tell them. My Dad would sit up and take the time to pray with me. He would pray that God would remove my fear, watch over me while I slept, and keep our home safe. He would add a special request that God would remove the bad dreams from me. I am so grateful for the love and prayers of my Dad. He taught me exactly what I need to do each and every time I am afraid---PRAY!
I shared the story of my experience and my Dad's prayers with Jersey #1, when she started having these nightmares. I prayed with her, for her fears to be calmed and her dreams to be sweet.
She shared with me that she has been praying on her own as well.
I also reminded her of the evacuation plan for our home. We have gone over the details in the past, but it was time to refresh the lesson. I showed the older kids how the bars release from the bedroom windows. We talked about exiting the home safely, and where to meet up once we are outside.
Jersey #1 shared with me that she has been really upset by the thought of losing all her stuff in a fire. Ah, yes. That is a tough lesson. Our materialistic possessions seem so important. But they are just things. What matters most is our relationships with others. We can buy new stuff. We can't replace the members of our family.
The fire nightmares have provided an opportunity to talk with the kids about our needs versus our wants, about materialism, and about what is most important. We should not be focusing on our stuff. We should be focusing on our loved ones. The only things we can take to heaven with us, are our friends and family....IF we share with them the good news about our faith, and they also acknowledge Jesus as their Savior, and accept His gift of eternal life!
I remember having similar nightmares when I was a kid. I was a bit older than she is. I think I was in 5th grade at the time. I remember the nightmares being so terrifying that I talked with my parents about them quite a lot. When the fire department did their annual inspection of our home (we were a military family, and fire inspections were common in military housing), my Mom told the firemen about my nightmares. They left her the message to assure me that our house was free of fire hazards, and had all of the appropriate fire safety items, such as working smoke detectors. They left me a fire safety coloring book, pencil, and stickers.
As nice as it was for the fire fighters to reassure me like that, I actually found the most comfort in the way my Dad handled my fears and nightmares. When I would wake up terrified from a nightmare, I would go to my parents' room and wake them up to tell them. My Dad would sit up and take the time to pray with me. He would pray that God would remove my fear, watch over me while I slept, and keep our home safe. He would add a special request that God would remove the bad dreams from me. I am so grateful for the love and prayers of my Dad. He taught me exactly what I need to do each and every time I am afraid---PRAY!
I shared the story of my experience and my Dad's prayers with Jersey #1, when she started having these nightmares. I prayed with her, for her fears to be calmed and her dreams to be sweet.
She shared with me that she has been praying on her own as well.
I also reminded her of the evacuation plan for our home. We have gone over the details in the past, but it was time to refresh the lesson. I showed the older kids how the bars release from the bedroom windows. We talked about exiting the home safely, and where to meet up once we are outside.
Jersey #1 shared with me that she has been really upset by the thought of losing all her stuff in a fire. Ah, yes. That is a tough lesson. Our materialistic possessions seem so important. But they are just things. What matters most is our relationships with others. We can buy new stuff. We can't replace the members of our family.
The fire nightmares have provided an opportunity to talk with the kids about our needs versus our wants, about materialism, and about what is most important. We should not be focusing on our stuff. We should be focusing on our loved ones. The only things we can take to heaven with us, are our friends and family....IF we share with them the good news about our faith, and they also acknowledge Jesus as their Savior, and accept His gift of eternal life!
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