Fear...

Tonight I have a child who is full of fear...fear of the unknown...fear of sickness...fear of dying...fear of just about everything.  We have dealt with this fear for several years.  We have spent nights up talking, reading, praying...trying to get to the bottom of these fears.  We have come a long way but tonight they have resurfaced a little and I shared with him what I am fixing to share with you.

One thing that I have struggled with in the last few years is fear/worry.  I would have to say this fear or worry increased after losing David's father to cancer in 2007.  The fear that another loved one would encounter this horrible disease or that I would lose a loved one I most cherished.  This has been an ongoing struggle of "what would happen if I got sick" or "what would happen if one of my kids or husband got sick".  I have worked hard at turning this fear over to God.  It is hard sometimes when all around you someone is dying or just found out they have cancer.  If you have ever seen someone die from this horrible disease you know what it looks like.  It isn't pretty, it isn't nice, it isn't peaceful! The funny thing is that I know that any number of my loved ones would be in a much better place if something happened to them ,or if something happened to me I know that I will spend eternity with my Creator.  So, why do we worry about things.  Why do we put ourselves in this turmoil and work ourselves up for the unknown or for things that haven't even happened.  How many times have we imagined things and made ourselves nearly sick thinking about them coming true...when it hasn't even happened.  I doubt I am alone!  I have been reading a Beth Moore book that hit this fear subject on the head!  "I need to stop praying "Lord, I trust You to..." and start praying "Lord I trust You. Period!".  I am going to share passages from what I have been reading.

From Beth Moore..."Of course, I realize God would prefer for me to refrain from rehearsing those kinds of fears altogether, but He also knows my weaknesses and how deeply and subconsciously I associate love with risk.  As long as I insist on torturing myself with these terrifying possibilities, He seems to suggest that I think them all the way through to the other side.  The prospect of losing a loved one is horrifying.  I cannot imaging enduring it, but because I know God is faithful, I must trust that somehow I would.  Can you bring yourself to believe that you would as well?"

"Romans 8:18 promises that the future we have coming is so glorious that nothing we've suffered will compare to the magnitude and splendor of it.  We must not let the enemy of our souls get away with convincing us that anything can utterly destroy us.  If we do, we will hand him an engraved invitation to attend our constant torment.  Over and over Jesus implores his followers, "Take courage!" as if His hand is outstretched and His palm opened with offered treasure.  It's time we took Him up on it.  Do we really want to spend our time rehearsing deaths of all kinds rather than engaging in the effervescence of life?"

"He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.  His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes." Psalm 112:7-8

"I don't think the psalmist meant that the person described had a lifetime guarantee from God that he would never get any bad news.  Hard things happen to all of us, and they often come in the form of "news." It's part of pumping blood on this fretful planet.  The psalmist meant just what he said.  She doesn't live in fear of bad news.  Why is she free from such self-torment?  Stay with me here, because this connection is crucial: she is fee because she knows that "in the end [she] will look in triumph on [her] foes." Translation? God will work all things - no matter how difficult or devastating - out to her advantage.  Her enemy will not triumph over her.  It may hurt in the beginning, but it's going to be beautiful "in the end."

God knows my weaknesses...and so does Satan.  Sometimes no matter what I do I still have a set back and fear will get the best of me.  I have to remember that I am not in control.  I cannot let Satan win the battle over me and let fear win.  If something does happen to me, my husband or my kids...as long as we are a child of God we are in a  "win win" situation.  No doubt there will be heartbreak here on this earth but the glory and splendor of what is to come is unimaginable.

From Beth Moore...

"I, the Maker of heaven and earth, will:"

perfect everything that concerns you (Psalm 138:8)
work all things together for your good (Romans 8:28)
contend with those who contend with you (Isaiah 49:25)
fight this battle for you (2 Chronicles 20:15)
equip you with divine power (2 Corinthians 10:4)
delight to show you mercy (Micah 7:18)
meet all your needs according to My glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)
give you grace that is perfectly sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9)
be your power in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)
do immeasurably more than all you could ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within you (Ephesians 3:20)"

That is some good stuff!  So, there are all of the "what ifs" and things that I am uncertain of...the unknowns. But I am certain that if I turn this over to God and give him the authority and put my trust in him...HE WILL SUSTAIN ME!  "Take courage!" I don't want any of my children to have this fear of sickness or death. Although we all know death is fearful because it is the unknown and there is no way of knowing when or how it is going to happen.  We do know our Eternal Father has our back.  He loves us and will take care of us on this earth and in Eternity.  All we have to do is give our weaknesses to him and let him give us the strength we need!