In His Hands

Tonight while I was brushing the kids’ teeth, Chad came into the bathroom with his ukulele, and before long we were in full blown sing-along mode.  At one point, Chad was standing in the middle of the bathroom, singing at the top of his lungs, and all three kids were sitting at his feet as if he were the new Elvis of the elementary school set.   Then he busted out an oldie but a goodie:  “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”

We sang together, enjoying the last few moments of the day, and the final memories of spring break were made during this verse:

He’s got the little bitty babies in His hands, He’s got the whole world in His hands.

We herded the kids out of the bathroom and off to bed, and I put on my comfy pants and sat down on this couch.  The verse we had just sung was hanging in the air around me like a whisper.  I sang it absentmindedly while I picked up dirty socks and put green shirts in the wash to ensure that no pinching befalls my people on Saint Patrick’s Day.  I sang, and I thought about the Malaysian airplane that has vanished without a trace.  He’s got you and me, brother, in His hands. . .

I sang, and I remembered the moment when the doctor told me that my pregnancy was over.  He’s got the wind and the rain in His hands. . .

I sang, and I thought about how often I try to control what’s happening around me.  He’s got the whole world in His hands. . .

It’s a silly kids’ song.  But, it does ring with truth.  The Bible tells us that not even a little bird will fall from the sky without God’s involvement.  It tells us that we make lots of plans, but the Lord determines which way we go.  It tells us that He knows exactly how many hairs are on each and every head.  The Bible makes it clear that He is more than a distant God who spun the universe into being and then sat back to watch what would happen next.  He is ever present, and He is firmly in control.

Yes, as a matter of fact, He really does have this whole crazy messed up world in His hands.  And He knows exactly what He is doing.

So, when we are worried, when we can’t see how an airplane could disappear, when we get bad news, when we just feel lost, we can know that God has the little bitty babies, even the little bitty birds, in His hands, and He is carrying us, too.

So, keep singing.  Keeping remembering.  We are never forgotten.  We are held tight in the loving hands of a God who doesn’t let go, who doesn’t make mistakes, and who isn’t worried even a little bit.

My kids went to bed singing about that truth tonight.  And, I pray when we all wake up tomorrow, whatever the day may hold, that we will be able to sing with assurance that He has the whole world in His hands, and He isn’t letting go anytime soon.

Sing on, my friends.  Ukulele optional.

Everything

Have you ever felt absolutely swallowed up, surrounded, suffocated, and strangled by fear? Have you laid awake at night, tossed and turned, stared at a ceiling that holds no answers, prayed until you don’t know what else to say? Have you cried about the things you worry may happen? Have you been paralyzed by terror?

Even Christians can be fearful. Even when we know that the Keeper of the Universe is in charge of things and is our Father and Friend, we worry. Maybe this is because, although we know that He is in control, we are still concerned about what He may choose to do with our lives. After all, we have seen people more godly than we are who are dealing with cancers, accidents, crime, and a host of other scary situations. We know that, yes, bad things can happen to good people. And, even when we can truly believe in our souls that whatever happens will glorify Him, we still naturally don’t wish to endure the hardships that we so fear.

I have always been exceptionally gifted in imagining the worst. I love a good imagination, but mine sometimes works overtime creating any manner of terrifying scenarios that my kids, my husband, or I may face. I can come up with some of the most wacky, off-the-wall, totally irrational fears. In fact, I am so good at imagining these things that when I was in the sixth grade I began to have panic attacks.

I don’t know if you’ve ever had a panic attack, but it is one of the most awful feelings I have ever experienced. You feel like you’re going to die. Heart pounding, throat closing, everything is spinning, and you feel completely out of control. I haven’t had a panic attack in over 20 years, and I still vividly remember what it feels like. I learned at that tender age that I was going to have to be utterly dependent on the God I had trusted to save my soul several years before. I learned how to breathe. How to allow the Holy Spirit to minister to me in those horrifying moments. I figured out that God is there. I remembered that I can trust Him.

And every day since then my life has been a continual exercise in remembering that.

Now when I am afraid of losing the ones who are everything to me, I am reminded that there is only one Everything. And, when I think about how I wouldn’t survive if this happened or if that happened, I am gently led by the Holy Spirit to understand that if the worst happens, I still have Everything. In fact, Everything never changes. He is the Great I Am, the One who Was and Is and Is To Come. And, Everything never leaves. He never stops caring. He never leaves me with nothing, even if He takes all that I know. He gives, He takes away, and He remains.

I’ve heard it said that fear is faith in the enemy. I don’t know if I really believe that’s true. Maybe those of us who are especially fearful were created with extra tenderness. Maybe he made us tender and soft and easily broken because in our weakness, in our fearful state, we are constantly learning to trust Him. To believe Him. To acknowledge Him as Everything. And when we can make it through, when we can conquer and we can be tough and we can overcome our fears, we bring Him glory. Because it is so obvious that it isn’t easy for us. But, God can do so much with tender hearts, imaginations that run wild, and utter dependence. Before long, fear gives way to a deeper faith.

Peace to your hearts, my fellow fearers. God sees. He loves. He is working on us.

It’s the End of the Worry

Well, today is earth’s last day.  Or maybe it’s tomorrow.  Or maybe it’s Sunday.  Or it could be in 500 years.  Who knows?  When I was a kid I heard the Bible verse that says, “No man knows about the day or the hour that these things will happen” (Matthew 24:36), and I thought I had it figured out.  I decided that I would announce every evening that Jesus was coming back the following day.  I figured if I kept announcing it He couldn’t come back yet, since someone would “know” the day. Hey, I still had a lot of playground time I didn’t want to miss out on.  “No trumpets today, Lord!,” I would pray, “I have a great game planned for recess!”

Today, on the day before the supposed end of the world, fear reigns.  Anxiety is high.  Worry is running rampant.  In the wake of the worst crime most of us could have imagined, we are trying to figure out how God fits into the scheme of this life.  We are scared for our children.  We are sad that they will never know a world that feels safe.  We are working out all the ways that we can control things.  We  are losing faith.  I have been reminded of the words of Paul to the Philippians:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests before God. (4:6)

The Bible is filled with calls to give up worrying, to refuse to be anxious, to trust God, to pray.

The Bible is true.  It is Truth.  It has been Truth through all kinds of the worst atrocities and disasters of the human race.  It was Truth during the Holocaust.  When Christians endured torture as prisoners of war, it was true.  When martyrs faced cruel deaths, it was true.  When children were taught to huddle under their desks at school waiting for bombs to drop, it was true. When terrorists attack, it is true. When hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and fires rage, it is true.  When mothers bury children, it is true.  When the world is scheduled to end tomorrow, the Bible is true.

Whatever we face.  Whatever happens.  Be anxious for nothing.

God is still the One who spoke this earth into being.  Nothing about His mighty, holy character has changed.  He can handle the worst the world puts out there.

How do we do it?  I don’t know. But, I know that God wants this from us.  And, if He wants us to stop worrying, He will help us do it.  How much time have we spent in prayer, asking Him to take our anxiety?  How often do we try to “handle” everything, only to be reminded that we are weak and feeble?  How do get there when  the big stuff happens if we can’t even get there when the little stuff is going on?

Let’s start practicing now.  When we are tempted to be anxious, let’s pray and see what happens.  Whether we’re anxious about a dying child, a bad report from the doctor, or too many piles of laundry, God cares.  And He will help us trust Him.

Who among you, by worrying, can add even one hour to his life? Luke 12:25

A Shot and a Smile

Sawyer has always been a laid back kid. “The Forgotten Child” would sit for ridiculously long stretches and entertain himself when he was smaller.  He didn’t walk until he was fifteen months old, and I’m convinced it was because he honestly didn’t have anyplace he was just dying to go.  He was pretty pleased with wherever he was at the moment.

Today I was reminded how wonderful laid back children are because it was flu shot day.

When I was a child, if my mother started driving in the direction of a doctor’s office, I got hysterical.  It didn’t matter if shots were on the agenda or not.  In my little worried mind, anytime I stepped foot in that office, a shot was a real possibility, so I went ballistic when a visit to the doctor was mentioned.

But, Sawyer sat cheerfully in the waiting room watching Disney Jr. He giggled when I told him he was getting a shot. His eyes lit up: “Do you think they’ll give me a Band-aid?” I assured him that not only would he get a Band-aid, he would probably get a sucker, too.  That knowledge pushed the whole event into the realm of a great day.  I just shook my head in amazement.

I wish I were more like that.  I would love to trust God so much that I don’t get all worked up about what’s about to happen in life.  I want to be able to turn to God when I get bad news and just giggle and say, “Well, I’m sure something good is going to come out of this!”

Or maybe I just need to stop looking at the Band-aids and the suckers of life, the small blessings, as insignificant.  Maybe I should believe that those small things really do make for a great day, instead of focusing on the bad stuff.  At the end of his day, Sawyer’s shot was completely forgotten.  But, how often do my bad experiences dictate how I feel about my whole day?

Sawyer got his shot, his Roadrunner Band-aid, and his orange sucker.  He started and ended his day with smiles.  And as far as I can tell, he didn’t worry about a thing.  Faith and joy and Band-aids and suckers.  In Sawyer’s heart, the shot was just a footnote in an otherwise lovely day.

I love that kind of faith.  I want to be like Sawyer when I grow up.