Headed Home
By
Brita Crouse
“I have told you these things, so that in
Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I
have overcome the world.”
John
16:33 (NIV)
Confession: I have an irrational fear of
frogs. Something traumatic with these animals must have happened to me in my
childhood to evoke the reaction I have as an adult whenever I see one. Fear
cripples me, anxiety overwhelms me, and irrationality makes me do things I
normally wouldn’t do to escape the glassy-eyed gaze of one of those lumpy
creatures. I know it is ludicrous to be afraid of something so harmless, but I
can’t help it... frogs scare me!
I live off of a winding country road that
runs parallel to a wide river. On this road, there is an abundance of wildlife,
which is great for hunters and fishermen, but unfortunate for me. Whenever
there is humidity or rain, the amphibians migrate toward the river, and to
reach their destination, they have to cross the road I take to get home.
Driving on this road in these conditions,
for me, is like going through the gauntlet. Frogs hop wildly in armies, trying
to avoid my car, while I, with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, do
a terrible job of trying to dodge them. But, this is what I have to do if I
want to get home.
While this experience is harrowing for me,
it makes for a good life lesson. We are all traveling on this winding road of
life, headed toward a final destination. Sometimes challenges or fears will
jump out at us and we can either dodge them or “run them over.” Dodging our
fears won’t make them disappear; they will just keep jumping in our path.
If we face life’s challenges head on, we are
promised we will not be doing it alone. Jesus doesn’t guarantee an easy life
for those who follow Him, but He does guarantee to be with us always, even when
we find ourselves paralyzed by our fears.
After driving down a road full of one of my
greatest fears, I always feel a huge sense of accomplishment and relief once I
finally make it home. As Christians, I think we will also feel these things once
we make it to our eternal home in Heaven.
While we are on earth, many fears will jump
at us, but if we “run over our fears,” trusting that Jesus is always with us,
we will have a much easier time traveling down the winding path of life as we
head Home.
GOING DEEPER:
1.
What fears do you need to “run over?”
2.
This week make 2
Timothy 4:7 your prayer.
FURTHER READING:
Brita
recently graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Psychology, and is
currently a helper for Oakwood’s Quest 56 and the Just Among Moms weekly
childcare team.
