"Do not fear. I am with you." ~ God
It's been almost a year since I've posted here. And my, what a year it has been! Have you ever heard people say, "Be careful what you pray for"? The reason they say that is, for example, if you pray for patience, instead of God
just snapping His fingers and magically making you patient, He will instead give you more opportunities (or at least make you more aware of the opportunities as they are happening) to learn and practice patience. Well, for a long time now, I've been
praying and asking God to help me to be brave. Do you see where this is going?
Let's get honest here, shall we? More honest than I probably have ever been on this blog, and more personal that I have been or probably ever will be.
I struggle with anxiety, worry and fear. I have ever since I was a little kid in elementary school. I'm always worried that the worst will happen in any given situation. Well, this past year, the worst
did happen. And you know what, I made it through to the other side. Not because of
my iron will to pick
myself up by
my bootstraps, but because I finally surrendered control, or I gave up my delusion that I was in control. I submitted to God and recognized that He was the one in control, and what better person to be at the helm? He is a good and loving God. He is all-powerful. This is the guy who made the universe! Not only that, but He is the only one that offers true peace, true comfort and real, satisfying answers for the pain and heartache we experience in this world.
You'll forgive me for being intentionally vague about the
details. I don't do it to be mysterious or set your minds to wondering.
It's because the details don't necessarily matter.
The point is, with God, we don't have to fear.
Yes, bad stuff will happen, but with God there is comfort. There is
peace. There are answers. Over and over again in the Bible, God tells
His people "Do not fear. I am with you." then He commands them to action. With God, we are already the
victors, no matter what trials come our way.
What a relief it is, to turn it all over to Him! After walking through that valley with Him, I felt a freedom from my fear. But God didn't leave me there. He kept working on me, teaching me how to be even more fearless and brave in my every day life, to live a life pleasing to Him. You see, it's easy for me to be brave for
everyone else. I've done things for others that I would never do for
myself. If need be, without hesitation, I'd lay down in oncoming
traffic for my friends or family, but when it comes to making decisions
or actions regarding myself, I'm so hesitant and fearful. Well, sure
enough, God has placed a couple opportunities in my lap, to help me continue to
learn how to be brave. Last week, I took the first step towards embracing them. I hope I can let
the talents He's given me shine. I hope I don't waste the opportunity.
I
want to be brave.