The Unseen Helper

Read Psalm 121:1-8

Crash! Connor bolted upright in bed. “I am not drunk!” his father’s voice thundered from downstairs. “Give me my keys.”

Connor crept to the top of the stairs and saw his father stagger toward Mom. Mom was holding the car keys behind her. “It’s not safe for you to drive,” Mom said.

“I don’t care!” roared Dad. “Give me those keys!” He made a grab for her. She spun away, tossing the keys behind the piano. “What did you do that for?” Dad bellowed. He grabbed Mom by the shoulders and shook her.

Connor shuddered as his mother cried out. He knew he needed to get help, but he was too scared to move. As he stood shaking, his eyes fell on a picture of snowcapped Pike’s Peak. What was it their next-door neighbor, Mr. Simms, said when he gave Connor the picture? Something about hills and help from the Lord. Oh God, I need help, Connor prayed. My mom needs help. Show me what to do.

Connor opened his eyes. He could see the front door at the bottom of the stairs. His father’s back was toward him. Connor tore down the stairs. His fingers fumbled with the dead bolt. Connor jerked the door open, dashed down the walk, and raced onto the Simms’s porch.

Connor pounded on the front door, and soon the porch light flickered. Mr. Simms opened the door. “My dad,” Connor said, catching his breath. “He’s drunk, and he’s hurting my mom.”

“Call the police, Donna,” Mr. Simms said to his wife. Minutes later, a policeman helped Connor’s father into the backseat of a police car.

“What will happen to Dad?” Connor asked Mr. Simms.

“The police will take him to House of Hope. Your dad will get help there for his drinking problem,” Mr. Simms assured Connor. “You did a brave thing tonight, Connor.”

“I had help,” Connor told him. “The picture of Pike’s Peak reminded me of that Bible verse about help coming from the Lord. I asked God to help me and my mom.”

“That’s the best help a guy can have,” said Mr. Simms.

How about you?

Are you afraid when people you love are out of control? Do you worry about frightening situations? Remember that God, who created our world with just a few words, is always ready to help. Ask him for wisdom and courage.

Memorize:

“I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth!” Psalm 121:1-2