Fear You Don't Own Me

Let me begin this post by saying this is a line from a song that I love. It is one of those songs that you can't help but sing along with. It's the kind that sticks in your head and no matter how hard you try, you can't stop singing it. And if you want to hear that song and sing along, come join me on June 25th as I give a Message about this.

But for today, let me just give you a teaser and preface this by saying that we live in a world full of fear. Fear has managed to dwell deep down inside us and once it grabs ahold of our hearts and souls, it can feel nearly impossible to get rid of.

Our fears and anxiety are most often focused on things we cannot change, things that will never happen, things from the past that have no bearing on today or tomorrow for that matter. Fear is the Enemy's weapon of success to distract us from a loving and faithful God who promises to be by our side at all times and in all circumstances. There are two distinct differences in how the Lord and the Enemy use fear in our lives. They are....ah, ah you have to come on the 25th to hear more! 😉

If you have followed me at all over the last several years, you know my life has been a whirlwind of drama and trauma. The last two years most especially. Each time I think, "what else can happen?" something else happens. It is the current season of my life and it is a season where as one of my pastor friends has said to me that I am like sea glass and God is continuing to shape and refine me with each storm in the ocean (my paraphrase).

If you saw my post Monday morning, you know the boys and I need to move very soon having been blessed in our current home for 8 years. This morning I received a call from the doctor that the current chemotherapy treatment is not working and that we need to continue more (different) treatments for an unspecified length of time. My initial reaction to both of these new events was an immediate sense of fear of the unknown, and a grinding nausea in the pit of my stomach. Where will we go? How will we afford the rates that have doubled? How long will the treatment be? What kind of change? Port? IV? Radiation too? Will I be too sick to work or do anything? How am I going to take care of my two boys? When will this all end?

This is a perfect example of what the Enemy does to us in these times of stress. He digs in and tells us all is doom and gloom. It's all over, give it up and give in to him. And yet, God whispers into our ears, "Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” And Jesus whispers into our ears, "Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Those are the words we need to hear and repeat to ourselves on a daily basis.

Fear is a life sucking emotion that only serves to drive us to despair. It doesn't solve any of the trials and tribulations we face today or tomorrow and it certainly won't change the past. What we need is to change our paradigm. We need to look fear straight in the eye and tell it 'you don't own me...there's no room for you in our story.'

Only when we walk this journey with confidence in the One who promises to be with always, until the end of days, will we learn to shut the door of fear in the face of the Enemy. I rest in the knowledge that I am sea glass and welcome the refining no matter how turbulent the storms and instead of focusing on those things which I can't control, or fearing the unknown in my life, I am focused on how God is working in and through me right here, right now so that I can bring light to others whose despair seems unending and unbearable.

This ought to be a good journaling prompt on its own, but here is a poem for that reflective journaling as well:

"Even though I walk,

through valleys with dark shadows,

Your light shines in me."