Late in the midnight hour....

2:18 AM

It felt good to be back in her childhood bed. The purple covers engulfed her and Hello Kitty surrounded her. She came home for the weekend from The University of Kentucky, she took the Mega Bus, it was a long 8 hour treck but it was so worth it. Especially to see her little sister. Ashley was having a very peaceful rest, until she heard the glass shatter. She heard the noise of body hit the wall. Oh, No. Not again. Fear gripped her, she was paralyzed. She heard muffled crying and yelling from upstairs. The fear constricted her body even more. The same fear that she was acquainted with came back, the same fear that hunted her since childhood. I thought this was over? I thought mom had learned? The same hatred for her dad came creeping back... She grabbed her purple iPhone...she couldn't dial 911. She attempted to get out to of bed to diffuse the situation but she was frozen. She sank deeper and deeper into her blanket, covering her head. She tried to pray, she knew that would help, She had even been attending Wildcats for Christ at UK, but she was tip toeing with the idea of Jesus, she hadn't fully surrendered yet. How Could she? She didn't know what the love of A Father was. All she had was fear of hers.

Dear God...please help. She attempted to muffle.

Instantly, her little sister came and ran in her bed. And held her.

It's okay, Ashley, God is holding us.

Her little 9 year old body caressed and held her tightly.

She felt so safe.

But how could Ashley leave in the morning, with her suitcase and backpack on the megabus back to college, when all this was happening back home.

Her perfect weekend had been shattered.

Her little sister needed her? Who was protecting her at night. When Ashely was in her dorm at UK safe and sound, who was protecting her little sister from the noise of body dropping and shattered glass?

Fear gripped Ashely some more. Ever so tightly.

As if sensing her raging fear inside her mind, her little sister so gently reminded her with profound confidence, “You have to get back on the bus in the morning. God is holding us, I promise. He visits me at night. I am safe.”

And with that reassurance. An overwhelming peace flooded Ashley and she went back to sleep.

Rocked gently by The Father she was afraid to accept.

If only she had her little sister's childlike confidence...

“I will be with them in trouble.” Psalms 91:15