The Noisy Fan

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

Over the summer, my husband determined that he needs a fan blowing in our room in order to get a good night’s sleep. Whether the gentle hum or the relief from heat, he’s not sure why he needs it. I think he needs a new mattress. But since the fan was less than twenty dollars and paid for years ago, it fits the budget.

At the same time of my husband’s fan discovery, my seven year old son also began having difficulty sleeping. Generally, when Brennan can’t sleep, I am awakened by a quiet whisper of “Mom” that only a Mommy’s ears are tuned to hear. But this one particular summer night, I awoke to a short, dark figure hovering silently over the side of my bed. Startled into semi-alertness, I asked what was wrong. “I called you as loud as I could and you didn’t come!” Apparently the gentle hum of my husband’s fan was just what I needed to assure a good night's sleep too. It drowns out all sounds of children calling. As he crawled up into my arms, tears rolled down his face and he cried out “I thought nobody cared about me!” After a moment of reassurance, I tucked Brennan back into his bed with a kiss and a squeeze. A reminder of my love and presence was all he needed to rest secure for the rest of the night.

As I returned to my own bed, I thought how often I’ve felt that same way with God. I cry out and cry out until I can’t call any louder. When I don’t hear or see God respond I think, “Nobody cares! God, do you still love me? Do you care that I feel all alone?"

Just because we can’t see his presence or hear his response doesn’t mean He isn’t there or He doesn’t care. He’s right there, surrounding us with His love. Often He’s working on our behalf in unseen ways.

So, if you’re feeling all alone and can’t seem to cry out any louder, know that He is there. And just as I told my son with his final kiss and squeeze, God wants you to know, “I’ll always care about you. I’ll always love you.” Nothing can separate you from the love of God, not even a noisy fan. Rest in that knowledge.