“In a meeting. Love you,” my daughter said when I called her this morning.
When I rang my son, the call went right to voicemail. Hm. That’s weird, I thought.
When I called to check in with my mom this morning, she quickly mumbled, “Can’t talk” and hung up the phone.
My mom and my son live in the same community, so my cortisol levels immediately spiked and my anxiety jumped from calm to high alert. I went from heart full to almost empty in about a second. After 45 minutes of the-world-as-I-know-it-is-ending thoughts, my mom finally called me back.
She was meeting with her retirement financial people. How was my son? Working outside.
She’s fine. He’s fine. Daughter, fine. Everything is fine.
Fear is a liar. In these moments of not knowing, bad thoughts sneak in and steal my peace. Instead of letting fear take hold, I should be taking my comfort with God. I must not be the only one who struggles with the joy-stealing bandit, Fear, because the Bible repeatedly issues verses that talk about how God wants us to handle situations like mine:
Psalms 46:10 says “...be still and know that I am God…”
During the moments in between, instead of constructing false narratives, draw closer to God in the stillness of the moment. Don't anticipate a storm coming; God is in control.
God, who calms my storms (see Jonah, 1:11-12; Mark 4:39; Matthew 8:24-26; Luke 8:24).
If a storm comes, trust God to calm the roiling waters. See the verses referenced here. Each one gives an account of how God brings peace and calm.
God, who makes me lie beside still waters and be at peace (Psalm 23).
Rest. This is one of my favorites. "God, who makes me," makes me, "lie beside still waters and be at peace." God who makes me be at peace. God who makes me rest. God's imperatives here are hard to miss; He's not making a request. All I have to do is invite God's peace.
God, who can move mountains when things do fall apart (Matthew 17:20; Job 9:5).
Life isn't perfect, and when those storms come or obstacles prevent our purpose from being fulfilled, God is the ultimate superhero. He can move mountains. Mountains. That's big. Huge!
Our bodies are hormonal things, and because people are not perfect, emotions happen. Yet, I can’t help but think how God must wonder if I really trust him when my senses fail. The Bible is my resource, the central text of my faith knowledge. I love Jesus, but I am an unfinished woman. God is still working in me, adding the finishing touches He calls perfection. I call on these verses regularly when I feel anxious or afraid and keep working while God works in me.
If you aren’t familiar with the song “Fear is a Liar” by Zach Williams, great song. I encourage the listen when you feel fear or those not good enough thoughts start to creep in. God says we are perfect in His sight, and His is the sight that matters.
Wishing you blessings and happy thoughts today,
Michelle
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