Monday, March 27, 2017

The Monsters in the Closet
By Jeannine Sawall

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

"So how was your appointment?" I asked, expecting “fine” as his response. This was a routine appointment my husband had just had. "Well... they found an unusual mass in my chest they are concerned about," he answered quietly. My heart stopped for a moment..."a mass in your chest? Do they know what it is?" "It's unusual...and it wasn't there last time. They are going to make an appointment for me to come back and see the thoracic team." "When?" "In the next few weeks."

And so the monster in the closet came out of hiding and I was afraid. Over the next few weeks, my mind went to terrible places. If you google "mass in chest," all sorts of monsters can be found. If you anticipate worst-case scenarios - - the monsters of cancers, chemo, financial hardships, sickness and even the extreme of early widowhood and raising young sons alone - - you can barely function due to the anxiety and worry that accompanies those thoughts. God says, not to “be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." But what did that mean and how does one do that? Did it mean I had to be fearless in every situation and THANKFUL?!?

Of course not! It means we don't have face those fears alone! When God allows a situation in our life that brings up fears, He knows our hearts and He knows our thoughts. We could pretend we aren't afraid, but to what good? We wouldn't be fooling ourselves and we certainly wouldn't be fooling God. However, when that gut-wrenching, confusion-making torrent of emotion takes over our hearts and minds from time to time, God calls us to trust Him and believe that He will be with us, even when there are monsters. He never condemns us for being afraid; instead, He is telling us to turn to Him and allow Him to give us His peace which surpasses understanding.

365 times we are told to "fear not" in the Bible: Once for each day. It is a reminder that He is there for us in the middle of the fear-causing situation. Remembering He is with us may not remove the situation from our lives or even permanently remove the fear from our minds; we may have to be talked off the ledge over and over. But remembering God's promises to us in the midst of fears allows us to take our eyes off of the monster, even for that moment, and go forward confidently with the Lord, thankful He is always with us.

GOING DEEPER:
1. What fears are you battling today?
2. Which of God's promises do you need to be reminded of?

FURTHER READING:


Jeannine is a wife and mother of four great boys. She works in the property management business. Jeannine serves in several behind-the-scenes ministries at Oakwood and has a heart for those who are grieving.