A Zip-Line, Ghosts and Monsters

Recently on a trip to Florida, to visit my son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, I laid-down in one of the children’s twin beds, my wife in the other and my granddaughter, almost 5 between us on a cot. Now my granddaughter is a pretty brave girl for the most part. On this same visit, she, without coaching, took a zip-line that began 5 feet above her feet over a distance of 50 to 60 feet. She was fearless and even grinned during most of this feat. Her grip never wavered. I was impressed.

So, I in one bed, and my granddaughter on the cot, she brings up the dreaded possibility of ghosts and monsters coming into the room sometime during the night and getting us. We leave the closet light on and the door to the closet open.

But, that doesn’t totally erase the fear she has. And we discuss the possibilities. She doesn’t relent. She is convinced ghosts are real and could “get us.” She wants to get in bed with me. I don’t want to start that. The bed barely contains me.

I suggest she hold my hand. She takes my hand and begins to hold it tight. She tells me she is still afraid. There is no proving to her or convincing her that ghosts and monsters are not real.

I give up that debate and take a new tack. If they are real I am thinking, then, why not tell her we can scare them away. Turn the tables on them, but to do that we must have a plan to scare them. “How?” She asks. I tell her, “When one shows up, we will just yell real loud at it. We will do it together. That should frighten the ghost or monster! She objects, “Well, daddy will not like that. He won’t want us to yell real loud.” My response, “If a ghost or a monster comes and we scare it, your daddy won’t mind. He wouldn’t want us to be ‘gotten.’ Besides, I will take the blame for all the noise.”

And so we have a plan. She is relieved. Her little hand grips mine ever-so-much. The moment is magic and not long later she falls asleep.

I have sold her an anti-elephant whistle. You know, a whistle you can blow to keep elephants away so you aren’t trampled. There are no elephants within miles of my son’s home, not even a zoo. So I am thinking, “We will never have to implement this plan.”

On second thought, I really have no sure way of knowing that ghosts and monsters do not exist. And I don’t really know that my plan to scare them instead of them scaring us would work. OK, an anti-elephant whistle this wasn’t.

She and I both have faith in my plan, and we both get a good night’s rest. She has faith in me.

The conversation brought three scriptures come to mind:

Mark 6.49 – They thought he was a ghost.

Mark 9.24 – Give me more faith.

Mark 10.13-16 – The kingdom belongs to those who are like children.