Paint the Dragon Red

Danger lurks everywhere for toddlers. It is disguised within our homes as an over-looked pan on a hot stove, or a seemingly harmless hairdryer plugged into an obscure plug-in. Danger finds itself on the other side of the dividing line as we drive our precious cargo down the road. Danger lies in our carefree extracurricular activities that appear to be stamped with nothing but innocent fun. And yet, hidden in the corners of our carefree entertainment, danger can be waiting, anywhere, at any time.

I remember a few months back, my sister had come for a visit, and we had the kids swimming in our pool. They had been swimming for quite a while, so Brittney and I called for the kids to get out of the pool and we lined them along the fence while we began taking off life jackets and collecting towels.

My sister and I were engaged in a little harmless chit-chatting when we heard, SPLASH! A splash that just a few minutes earlier would have been an oblivious fun-loving sound in our ears. This time, however, it was as if an alarm sounded. Both of us immediately realized what had happened. I screamed, “Ben’s in the pool!” My sister jumped in one way, and I jumped in the other. We got to him in seconds. He had jumped into the shallow end of the pool without his life jacket on.

The life jacket had given him a false sense of security while swimming, and when it was removed, he thought he could still swim. It didn’t take him long, however, to realize that was not the case. He struggled for a few seconds and swallowed a mouthful of pool water before we got to him. In a shear panic, no one bothered to notice that he could touch the bottom, not even him.

I heard a lady say once, “Ask the Lord to paint dragons red.” I thought it was so objective and powerful that I adopted the phrase as my own. No matter the danger, whether directly or indirectly, aimed at my family, I want dragons painted red. I want the Lord to help me be one step ahead of that which could be threatening.

There were severe repercussions from Ben’s actions but most importantly, he learned a valuable lesson. He was not invisible. It was in his immediate sinking into what only a few minutes prior had been a sparkling blue pool full of splashes and giggles that now was painted red with danger. The very thing he enjoyed moments before, now had the capacity to threaten his life.

Thankfully the Lord was one step ahead of us, you see, just a few hours earlier I had told my sister I would watch the kids at the pool while she went to town. For some reason, lets just call it, “mother’s intuition,” if you will, she said no. She just didn’t feel comfortable doing that. She was confident in my abilities to watch the kids but something gave her pause.

Could it have been the Lord painting the dragon red for her that day? Had she left me, the scene may have looked differently than what played out; for Ben and for myself. As a parent, the Lord has given us an inward alarm that comes prewired, built-in, to sense danger.

We will never know what “could” have happened that day but one thing is for certain, when we, as parents, sense an unsettling inside of us, listen.

Whether it comes in quiet whispers or bellows from heaven, I want to hear HIS warnings. He can see things that I cannot.

Lord, today I pray that you would paint the dragons red so we as parents can see danger lurking in secret. Arm us with boldness and the ability to think fast on our feet. Reveal to us escapes where it is needed and show us how to slay the dragon when he rears his ugly head.

Welcome Home

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous run to it and are safe!” Proverbs 18:10      (the literal translation of the word “safe” here means…lifted out of reach!)

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