|
Medals Above My Heart
By Brenda Pace and Carol McGlothlin
Broadman & Holman Publishers
Fear Factor
I am your basic “scaredy cat.” As a child,
I was afraid of thunderstorms, tornadoes, the first day
of school, animals, getting lost, swimming pools, lakes,
rivers, strangers, the second coming, Russia, driving over
bridges or through tunnels—the list could go on and
on. My adult fears have taken on a more subtle expression:
approval, rejection, acceptance, security.
Having this high “fear factor” quotient, it
was a surprise to me that when my husband left for Afghanistan,
the number one emotion I experienced was not fear. Instead,
I felt a great sense of gratitude to God for His peace.
If I was honest, I would probably even have to say I felt
some pride in the fact that fear was not one of the emotions
I was dealing with. I thought, “How spiritually mature
I must be!”
The news that Richard was going to be redeployed to Iraq
one month after his return from Afghanistan, however, brought
with it the fear that had failed to be present at the first
separation. Words from my journal the day after Richard
left reveal the pain of these emotions:
“I have not felt able to sit and be still with pen
and paper and the Word. I feel the effects of my lack of
commitment. Despair is at the door. I feel safest and most
comfortable in my bed. I don’t want to go outside.
Keep the doors and windows closed. I won’t have to
talk, smile, or dress.”
“Richard left yesterday morning. I haven’t
heard from him. I’m praying this means he arrived
safely to the ‘mysterious destination.’ I
feel a lump in my throat and sadness in my spirit. I don’t
want to do anything or go anywhere. I feel terribly lonely,
sad, and afraid.”
That morning I made myself sit and open my Bible. The
devotion for the day was based on Psalm 27.
I was especially
struck by the timeliness of verses 1-3 and 13-14:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom _shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?
When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries
and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp
against me, my heart will not fear; Though war rise against
me, in spite of this I shall be confident. . . . I would
have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the
goodness of the Lord in the land of the living; Wait for
the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart _take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.
—Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14 (NASB)
In that time of personal weakness, I was thankful for
God’s living Word. In that moment of fear He spoke
peace, comfort, and courage to my heart. There was no way
I could doubt that He knew my situation.
If you are experiencing fear right now, do as I did that
day. Go to God’s Word and apply it to your situation:
Write out the things that you fear. After reading this
Psalm, I wrote out the things that I feared: war, terrorists,
disease, and my husband not returning.
Write out the things that you dread. The things I dreaded
during this time of separation were: being alone, being
with people, dealing with issues that Richard usually handled,
deciding what to have for dinner, and even going to the
gym.
Ask the Lord to “teach [you] His ways and lead [you]
in a level path” (vs. 11). I pondered what would
make this time “level” or balanced for me,
and concluded it would be consistency, commitment, and
courage.
Sisters, there are “fear factors” built into
each day, whether it concerns something as drastic as war
or as common as walking out your front door. The good news
is: the Lord promises that He will be our light and our
salvation, and we need not fear. The NIV Study Bible states
that light was often used in Scripture to symbolize well-being. Do
you have that spiritual sense of well-being today? I encourage
you to give Him the things you dread and fear. Trust Him
to lead you in level paths this day . . . and every day.
— Brenda
Prayer
Dear Father of light and life, today I bring to You the
issues in my life that bring me dread and fear. Your Word
says that with You I have nothing to fear and nothing to
dread. The world situation is one that causes many to look
to the future with fear. I know that in Your sovereign
plan, however, You are in control. I choose to look to
the future with hope and confidence, knowing I will see “goodness
in the land of the living.” May my words bring hope
to someone who is fearful today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This excerpt from Medals Above My Heart is
used with permission. |
