Teacups and Toasters

This morning my daughter lept into my lap from her bed saying, “Mommy, Mommy, I hear noise.” Thunder rolled once again outside. In her mind, the thunder was rolling directly outside her window. “Mommy, Mommy, I hear again.” She curled up, hugging her duck, and hid her face in my nightshirt.

This afternoon, I checked the radar for tropical storms that may roll up to Florida before we fly out next Saturday. There are currently three contenders. Some folks have pointed out that hurricanes may hinder our trip. I worry a little, but not a lot. Thoughts of past thunderstorms coinciding with flights and roller coaster sized drops linger in the back of my mind.  I worry about the way it would affect Partycake if we found ourselves in such a situation.

Then I read two news articles. The first about families, orphans, newborns, fleeing to the jungles of India because they are Christians. Their churches are being burned, their friends tortured and killed. I think about the children we have sponsored in India. Simply, I wish I knew that they were safe.  The second article I read is about a young woman who was to be a suicide bomber in Baghdad. A victim of circumstance, unknowing of a loving God, and limited by society, she nontheless realizes that she does not want to kill innocent people. She is now sentenced to a prison term, during which she may become a victim yet again.

Fear to each individual is as different as our dwellings, yet really in one way is the same. My daughter fears thunder because she cannot see it. The families in India fear for their lives because not only are violent protesters forcing them from their homes, but now they are hiding in jungles where they cannot always see the wild animals to whom they are prey and do not know how they will feed their children.  Many women in war torn countries cannot see  past violence and poverty because it is the norm of their daily lives.

Philippians 4:6-7 states, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

If I could share that knowledge with all who fear in daily life, I would. There is a way past fear; it is Christ. With Christ as your Savior, there is nothing to fear. He abolished it the day He rose from the grave.  Yes, we all do have fears, but their outcome we should not be concerned with because He is in control and if we give it all up to Him, we can be assured that we will have peace. This life may torment us, it may challenge us beyond our reasoning. We will not understand why such awful things happen, but somehow, someway we will ultimately be taken care of.  We should care and we should be concerned and we should pray from the depths of our being. It is okay to care for the needs of your families and we should strive to overcome our circumstances. I’m not saying that we should throw caution away. Merely, I am stating that there is a way past fear and into inexplicable peace.

We all fear what we cannot see, what we cannot foretell. Fortunately, the Author of creation does see and knows our needs and our fears before we ever speak them. In that, I rest.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. Genesis 1:1-3

Seems often people forget that Jesus was around from the beginning. The very first words of scripture are a reminder that even at the start of this world, He was present. Open Genesis and keep reading. There is more that is often forgotten.

I was recently pondering my favorite works of fiction, in the novel form. It’s pretty hard to break it down, but I think I have a top three. I was an English major in college and read a ton. I read so much in fact, that I ended up with reading glasses on a permanent basis. I still try to read a bit, but it’s hard when my life is no longer a hermit’s. (Amen to that!)

My top three are based on the ability to tell a unique story, one that is believable, and that causes me to relate with characters whom are nothing like my own person.  My top three to date are:

1. Till We Have Faces – C.S. Lewis

2. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

3. O’Pioneers – Willa Cather

(All are beautiful love stories, yet not always in the sense that one would think. Till We Have Faces is esp. unique. I have NEVER read any other novel that EVEN comes CLOSE to telling a similar love story. In recommedation:

Till We Have Faces- for those who want a truly different reading experience

Jane Eyre- for those who root for the underdog and enjoy old fashioned romantic comedies

O’Pioneers- for the steadfast and sturdy with a heart beat from the wilderness

Answers are often withheld when we first need them. Certainly, though, we trust to a certain sense of peace that is really very inexplicable. Lately, stress seems a constant neighbor, though I can’t really deem it to be an ally. With constant decision making and a pounding in my skull, I beat at certain responsibilities and only through prayer and this inexplicable peace are they unable to devour me.

Christ’s inexplicable peace is a relatively new feeling to me. I’ve been a Christian for most of my life, but have grown considerably in the last two years. I am no where near the type of person we are all called to be, but I’m not giving up.  I write these things, not to boast, but simply because this inexplicable peace must be shared. No amount of research, or devotion could ever explain it. Simply, the peace exists. Simply, it soothes. Simply, it is freely given to those who truly seek it.

Having experienced shattering situations and having grown up, even though I thought I was already grown; I have found that no matter what takes place Colossions 1:17 is right. “He is before all things and through Him all things hold together.”  These situtaions that I speak of might be rather small in comparison to the troubles of others, but they were my own personal situations and what personally affects us, causes us to either grow spiritually, or to fade spiritually. Reliance on Christ is key.  Full reliance leads to that inexplicable peace – a peace which governs you to the point that you know in the deepest parts of your being that no matter what happens next, you will be more than okay.

Valiantly, I shall attempt at reproducing a lost personal habit; the habit of writing daily, or at least frequently. Currently though, I am still working on getting this bloggy all set up. So until further notice, I leave you with one of my new favorite scriptures:

“He is before all things and through Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17