Wait, you thought the phrase was "protect him (or her) from harm?"
Well, like many endeavors on this earth that we manage to muck up, we have translated "protecting" into harm.
A husband "protects" his wife from harmful comments or events--the truth is he short-circuits her chance to interact with God and grow stronger.
A mom "protects" her child from events in which he might fail or be made fun of--the reality is she prevents the child from becoming sturdy through the handling of failure and rejection.
Protecting is harmful to your health--and the health of the one you are trying to protect.
The protector hides behind the energy required to protect and gets to avoid growth of his (or her) own.
Test it in your own life. Who are you protecting? What are you protecting him or her from?
If you withdrew that protection, what would the person learn?
Self-reliance? Healthy pride of accomplishment?
What would that person, now unprotected by you, become?
Sturdy? Independent? Whole?
And you, the protector--what might you do with the energy you now have to focus on yourself?
Live? Grow? Learn?
Don't be a shade tree that blocks the trees surrounding you from receiving the sun.
