Tag: fear

When I am afraid…

I love that when I hear the start of that I automatically finish it off with “I will trust in You, I will trust in You!” from Psalm 56:3 Thank you Steve Green and Hide ’em in Your Heart music!

Whether there are big looming fears for the world or just small things that I am concerned about I need this easy reminder that God is the one I trust in…

not world leaders…

not bank accounts…

not employers…

not my abilities…

not ________________ [fill in the blank]

I have had to practice reminding myself this. There have been times that I have been fearful, of course. But a short rundown of all the ways God has provided for me usually brings me back to a more even keel.

I am so thankful God has me on His mind. He knows what I come up against and my tendency to fall into that fear trap. When I take my eyes off of Him is surely the times that I stumble.

And I feel badly for those who have no use for God and yet live in fear over so much. I know several people who have no use for God but are in a state of high anxiety. I am going to be bold and ask God to open the door with them for a conversation about Him. I am open to having the discussion but I want it to come from their questions and desire to have more peace in their lives.

Getting worked up

In the end, I don’t think we have as much control as we think we have or as much as we think we want. We can, however, control our reaction to things.

What is getting your goat today?

Is someone acting differently than normal and you are confused?

Is someone behaving as they normally would and you are just wishing they didn’t act like that?

Are you afraid?

Are there circumstances that you can take some personal action on but the whole situation feels so big and unmanageable?

Where can you start?

My encouragement is to start by giving the situation to God.

When I find myself in this type of situation I take a walk and talk to God.

Out loud.

I talk through it. I as Him to work on the situation. And show me what He wants me to do. And if there is some way I should be involved to bridge the gap, I ask Him to point that out to me.

I may have a role in the solution beyond my prayers. And it might not be easy. I can offer my part but that doesn’t guarantee the response from the other parties.

But, giving it to God is my first step. And trusting He is working on a resolution is my second step.

What do you need to hand over to God today?

Behind the Scenes

Scenario A: If you have ever been to a play or worked on a play or any performance, you know there are a lot of things that go on “behind the scenes.” There are sometimes double the people you see out front scurrying around in the back getting things where they need to be and taking care of technical things. The “scene” might look amazing and the “stars” may as well, but the real stars are everyone who worked together to make it happen, not just the people out front.

Scenario B: You surely have seen someone who created a picture perfect world either in real life or on social media. The posts are all coordinated and perfect and everyone looks darling but what it really took to get to that was some ugliness. The “behind the scene” is the sad reality. And the drive to present something completely different overtakes their life.

Scenario C: Maybe you have heard the fictional story about the person who talks to God about what a disaster their life is. They are comparing it to the “backside” of something like an embroidery project that is not designed to be viewed from that angle. And God reassures them that He sees their life from the top side. They are only seeing their life from “behind the scenes” with an awareness of the difficulties when He looks at all and what He is doing to bring it together to be something beautiful.

We all have things going on “behind the scenes”. Some of it is good, some of it is bad, some of it is neutral. Being a real person doesn’t necessarily mean you show every person every wart you have. But having a few people in your life where you can be real is really important.

God knows our hearts and longs for us to express our fears, failures, excitement, disappointments — all of it. There are trustworthy people out there to share with, too. When we are vulnerable and share the difficulties of our days with others, it helps them see our humanity and invites them to share theirs as well.

There are times we may have to “take the stage” and act as if things aren’t difficult, depending on the situation. But let’s not let that be the general way we are. Then reality gets confusing for everyone!

Psalm 139 is such a great place to start for real, honest conversation with God. He loves you and wants you to bring it all to him: the good, the bad, and the ugly. He is sure to work in and through us with it all to make something beautiful.

The Lord is my light and salvation.

Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

The Lord is my light and salvation
whom shall I fear?

There is a lot of fear going around these days. We are not quite through a pandemic which has altered many of our lives and livelihoods. And now there is a war in Ukraine. I can’t really stop any of these things that are going on in the world. But I can run to God with my fears and confusion.

Lord, be my salvation. Be the stronghold of my life. Be my confidence and truth. Be my defender. Be my healer. Be the one that knows the bigger picture and sees how it works together. Be the one I trust in all things. Hear me when I am afraid. Help me trust in You.

The Lord is my light and salvation
whom shall I fear?

And the Peace of God…

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding...

Have you ever visited with someone who, by any standard, has gone through some incredible suffering?

It often goes one of two ways — they are completely stuck in a cycle of despair and anger and overwhelm for years or they are in a place of peace. They know they cannot control others and the things they do, they know they can only control their response. And they trust God will work out the ugly details for His good.

I am always refreshed and amazed at the peace of God…it is unexplainable. To interact with someone who has God’s true peace is such an encouragement.

All the Ways

1 Sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
    proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
    he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
    The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity.

11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples in his faithfulness. [Psalm 96:1-13, NIV]

There are so many ways to worship and praise our loving God! What are some of your favorite ways?

I must admit, sometimes I get distracted from this important work. There are times I let fearing and fretting and stressing take my energy and my perspective. Sometimes my ‘declarations” have been inaudible whispers. And other times they are loud and confident.

I am thankful that God knows and loves me in the midst of me. I need to think more about all the ways I can praise and get busy ascribing, singing, declaring, proclaiming, worshipping, and rejoicing!

God’s blessings on your week ahead!
Liz

Hearing

I have a tendency to ignore a lot of auditory input unless it is what I have chosen.  I just tune it out and, if I can’t tune it out, I leave the room. There are things I don’t like hearing because they pull me in to listen and, sometimes, it isn’t good stuff to listen to for whatever reason. Also. sometimes listening is hard work.

Let’s take the coronavirus news as an example. At first, I was hearing so much that I had to stop and listen a bit. In the initial days of the coronavirus, when there was so much conflicting information, I had to weigh some things against my mind and heart. I heard a few illogical things. Things that, when I heard them, I thought — that makes no sense.

But then, it was front and center all day long. If the news was on, I tuned it out. The conflicting reports. The ever changing recommendations. And the variety of responses from the public. Hearing from all of the available sources on the coronavirus: from the CDC to the medical field to the state officials to other nations to business owners to struggling families is a lot to hear.  The perspectives are never ending. And there are not enough hours in the day to hear it all. It isn’t that I don’t have compassion or care about what this means, but I cannot solve this problem.  I can support those close to me who are struggling. I can pray for the vaccine makers to find what they need to find. I can pray for people to love one another, share their resources with those in need, and help in the ways they are called. I can do those things, too. I can listen to my friends as they process and grieve what this means for them. I can do what God is calling me to do.

In the end, here is what I do to limit my exposure to the coronavirus — I wash my hands more. I wear a mask when I am out in public. I don’t hang out in big gatherings.  I had to find a sustainable path for myself.  Mind you, I may get it Covid-19. It seems to be lurking everywhere — all across the world. And whether I live or die, it’s ok. I have peace. I have the blessed assurance of Heaven.

Scripture does not address the coronavirus but it does address the fear the coronavirus brings. Yes, there have been heartbreaking deaths — people dying alone with their families unable to be near them but who desperately want to be there. There have been a lot of hard things from livelihoods being completely disrupted to serious financial challenges. Of course, this situation has made my life uncomfortable and stressful in a few ways, but I am thankful that I have God’s peace. God’s promise is not that we will have an easy life. This is Earth, after all, not Heaven.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

I am so glad that verse is tucked into my heart. I even know it set to music, which is a bonus. Music always helps me memorize!

When there are sounds all around me, disrupting my day, I need to investigate them. I’ll talk more about Listening next time.

God’s blessings on your week!
Liz

Back to Basics

I was just getting into a decent rhythm but it has been shaken up a bit with this incredible health crisis. How about you? However, I am extraordinarily appreciative of the downtime but I still feel a bit scattered.

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

I find it very hard to focus on things at the moment. Our two youngest are staying with us which helps provide entertainment and distraction. They are funny people. But I need to come up with a temporary routine as we shelter-in-place in Indiana.

I do love how the world is coming together to share resources — from penguins walking around zoos so people can see the animals to illustrators giving video lessons to read alouds through the libraries. Churches who have not moved to the digital age are stepping out there and learning new things for their members. People are giving what they can in new ways! Let’s embrace and share those good things!

As for me, I am not full of fear but I am full of unknowns. I am waiting it out — all of it! Times are interesting, that is for sure.

Step away from the news. Hunker down in your homes. Cook new things. Try your hand at creating. Check in with the people you love!

And pray without ceasing…..

Afraid or Concerned?

I am not afraid of the coronavirus but I am very concerned about how people are behaving. But then I have to remind myself they are living in fear and that is what makes people behave irrationally.

What can I do?

Right now, there are many things I cannot do. But I am going to focus on the things I can do to help calm the rising tide of fear.

I can pray.

I can listen to others.

I can share with others.

I can encourage others.

I can do what I can to keep myself healthy.

I can wash my hands with soap and water.

I can use this opportunity to share why I am at peace.

I can thank God for this opportunity to regroup and reprioritize.

I can love on my friends and family.

Thank you, Jesus!

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Fear

Fear can make us do some crazy things. And sometimes we pass our fearfulness onto others.

A long time ago, I had a friend who was a mom of five kids. When she was a young girl, some mean boy threw a cat on her and the cat (who was afraid itself) scratched her terribly. From that day on, she feared cats. And her five kids also feared cats because they had heard the story and they knew their mom was afraid of cats. Of course, what happened to her was scary and painful and very impressionable because she was young. But she never processed this fear, even as she was older. And she passed it on to her kids.

Scripture talks a lot about fear. God knows we fight it on a regular basis. Sometimes fear can be “catchy” and shared with others, unsuspectingly. But fears can also be paralyzing. Working through fears is important. I spent a lot of time “fearing” that Don, my husband, would die young – his father did and my father did. I could still function throughout the day but when I got to thinking, I did stress and worry about it. For nothing. It was a story I told myself based on what might seem logical (family history) and wrapped up in a lot of emotion.

What are you afraid of?

If we have a debilitating fear, it is a good thing to visit with a healthy counselor and explore it. But the first thing we need is a bit of awareness. Self reflection can help shed some light on what fears we have, if any, and maybe a little bit about the why behind it. Writing some things down might also help break the “spell” of a fear. I have also talked to a trusted friend and ask for their thoughts. In addition to these things, I pray for God to calm my spirit and my heart. He knows what leads me to a place of fearfulness but focusing on His truths and provisions help me to not get stuck there.

17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us. [1 John 4:17-19 NIV]

Blessings to you as you explore “fears”.

Liz

PrayerPrompt: SERVING OTHERS