"Can you just protect me?"

Jason and Rudy are forever playing rough and tumble games, usually involving a villain like an ogre or other such monster. When Jason's got Rudy hopelessly captured, he'll scream out "Save me!" and I'll use my "zap finger" to freeze or otherwise incapacitate his captor so Rudy can escape to fight another day. Often the story line will shift to the monster trying to get me or Julia and Rudy throwing himself between us and danger, valiantly declaring, "I'll protect you!" and then waving the magic wrench or whatever super powered weapon he's got that day at the foe to scare him away.

My little super hero has been pretty miserably sick lately. Wednesday night, he was up coughing and feverish most of the night. 

I'd exhausted all the remedies I know. We'd been to the doctor the day before, and I'd followed all his suggestions in helping my little guy weather through this illness. But it wasn't enough. He was still getting totally pounded by his cold. Around 6 am, completely exhausted, he lay his little feverish head on my lap and whispered, "Can you just protect me?"

I cradled him in my arms and did the last thing I could think of. I prayed. I told God about how I'd done everything I could think of to help my son, and how he still hurts and how badly he needed to be able to rest. I pleaded with God to comfort my son, to help him be able to sleep. Then I kissed Rudy and wished him sweet dreams as he snuggled into his pillow and closed his eyes. 

Rudy slept for 3 1/2 hours and woke with his fever under control. He was not miraculously healed, but he was comforted, and so was I. I know God lives. He knows and loves me and my little family. That's better than any magic weapon or zap finger. That's real power, and I'm so grateful to be blessed with God's love and light as I fumble my way through raising a family.