Fear
This is forefront on my mind this week. We had an eerie visitor yesterday afternoon. We live in a very wooded area, to our east we have a swamp and a small creek. The highway is to our south. It was early in the afternoon, we had really just came back inside after playing in a beautiful fall day. I was getting our youngest down for a nap when my 9 year old ran into the room saying, "mom, I saw a man" not really thinking too much of it I assumed he saw someone walking on the highway, we often do. But when he restated what he saw I caught the urgency in his voice and knew this was different. That's when something triggered in me and protection mode kicked in. I ensured all house doors were locked and secure. The scene he told me gave me goose bumps. A man exited the woods onto our east lawn, only about 15 feet from our house, he was taking intentional deliberate steps right towards the patio door that was unlocked, looking straight towards the house when he suddenly turned and ran, Ryder described it as an Olympic runner. He sprinted out of here. He had paid attention and was able to give a description that we could give the police when we called it in. My dad was here in a few minutes, my husband not long after and the police came and spent a handful of hours making sure we were safe, talking with neighbors and patrolling the area. They found nothing.
So nothing is found, yet there is this traumatic event we need to deal with the aftermath. Truths, we are all safe. No one was injured or even necessarily in danger. I do not know the man's intentions, but I do know he was where he did NOT belong, he was walking very intentionally right towards my home, and he was not welcome here. I will likely never have a followup of this occurrence, I won't have closure. So how do I deal with the fried nerves or feelings of uneasiness? What do I do with the fact that the secure feeling I'm accustom to having is suddenly interrupted.
I can choose to focus on the what-if's? There are many. What could have happened....
Or I can choose to focus on the One in charge of our today and all of our tomorrows. This is where peace reigns. I do not know God's plan for the days ahead, I am not promised protection from all harm, from all the bad things in this world. I am not promised a life without tragedy, or events that shake us to the core. But I DO know the One who has designed my life- He knows every day and every moment. He knows my life plan, and the plan for my boys' lives too, because He ordained it. He goes before me and beside me. I can TRUST HIM. I can claim peace even in circumstances that aren't peaceful, because this isn't a peace that circumstances get to determine. This is a peace that is inward, at soul level. I can give all that anxiety, all that worry over to God and choose to walk by faith. I'm choosing this, I'm not letting emotions or fears control. He is trustworthy. He is faithful.
It is well with my soul. Even if that's a mindset, and a heart-set, I need to continually choose. SO when standing face to face with the choice of fear or faith, I'm working on choosing faith.
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