Fear vs God's Promises

This post focuses around the fear we experience when someone we love is no longer with us. It may come through death, loss of a job, children going away to college or a variety of circumstances. Be encouraged! God is faithful and hears the prayers of your heart.

Fear. That’s what I felt when I was a small girl and first stood close to the edge of the water tumbling over Niagara Falls. Back then, not all the heavy railings were in place that now give one a feeling of security. I remember thinking I could fall into the raging torrents of water and be swept right over the precipice crashing onto the rocks below the Falls. I remember holding tightly to my mother’s hand while we both felt the mist created by the power of the water cascading over the rocks. I remember wanting to back away to a place where, in my mind, both my mother and I would be safe.

Older now, I have returned to the Falls several times. Even with the railings being farther back from the edge and providing more protection, I cannot shake the feeling of being swept away, of crashing down upon the rocks, of being sucked into the whirlpool beyond the Falls.

There is a part of the grief journey that is somewhat like standing at the edge of the Falls and wondering if one might be swept away. When we lose a loved one, especially a spouse, our sense of security seems to tumble. There are times when we feel like we have been thrown against the rocks only to be further swept into a torrent of unending tears, anger, fear of the unknown, and wondering if we will ever survive. Sometimes we are not even sure we want to survive because we no longer have that secure hand onto which we can hold. Like the mist that dampens those who experience the power of the raging water, tears for those who grieve remind us of the loved one now gone from our lives.

And yet, when I stand amidst the sound of the thunderous waters I cannot shake the wonder of it all. The same God who created this wonder of the world, created me with a yearning to connect with Him. Just like the birds of the field, God cares about my needs. God’s Spirit in me wants to comfort. His love for me wants to provide peace.

Today, wherever you might be in a journey of grief, if you can picture God providing all you will need to bring peace in the future, its presence will not be so fearful. Like when the sun shines on the mist of the Falls and a rainbow is seen, God’s promises of his care are forever.

“So, don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time (Matthew 6:34 TLB)."