Sunday Afternoon Tea

For God has not given us the spirit of fear,
but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind.
2nd Timothy 1:6-8

Last night was one of those rare nights where I tossed and turned, never getting into a deep sleep until I gave up at 4:00 and took a Benadryl to clear up sinus congestion. The real culprit was the pain in my right shoulder and arm... somehow I had brought about stress to the injured area.

There is an old saying that crosses my mind during times likes this. "Never doubt in the night what God has promised in the day." I find I can remain calm and full of faith most days but in the midst of darkness, when sleep fails to come, fear creeps in.

That's what happened last night, an overwhelming since of dread and apprehension came upon me. It is also when I pull out 2nd Timothy 1:6-8, for I know those feelings are never from God so they must be from the enemy of my soul, taking advantage of circumstances and inner fears.

There is a reason Churchill's famous words live on... "We have nothing to fear but fear itself". Simple words with deep meaning. For he knew a nation that allows fear to dominate their thoughts will make unwise decisions when facing overwhelming circumstances like... war, food shortages, and an uncertain future... all of which England experienced.

Our own local newspaper has been filled with large type headlines about plant closings and jobs lost, perhaps forever. There are many reports of suicides and mental breakdowns, some as heartbreaking as the father who shot his wife and children before taking his own life. His reasoning? He had lost his job and could no longer provide for them... so, life is not worthwhile when one can no longer keep up their standard of living?

This past week I walked down the gravel lane to pick up my mail and I noticed the quiet... the thick layer of snow silenced even the birds. There is a great beauty to winter, it allows us to see farther than we can when the days are warm and the flowers are blooming. The sky is never so blue and so clear in my part of the world as it is on a cold, sunny day following a snowfall.

It is that way when a Christian walks through trials and adversity... I've been there and I know it is true. I have never experienced the presence of God as I have when He was all I had left... no income, no saving account, no job offers in the near future, no... hope. When the cupboard is bare, the bills arrive each month, the mortgage is already past due, and I can make no plans for I have no idea what tomorrow holds... that is when I have experienced miracles that took my breath away.

Sometimes we're in the midst of the storm and all we can do is hold on while the winds are raging all around us. We anchor ourselves to the Rock as never before, remembering mental altars of those times He came through and rescued us before. The Bible calls it... faith, patience, experience, and hope.

This is when He becomes either real to us or we realize our faith is nothing but a shadow of the real thing. For it is only faith that can overcome fear, real faith and very, very real fear. The words that met me during the night... the words that helped me to smile even in the fear... God is in control.

Drop your anchor deep, hold on for dear life, He will make His presence known in the cold and storm and as the wind blows. Life will become an adventure instead of the end of the world, it is all on how you choose to look at it.