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."
Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
"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.
