Terror

When my daughter was in grade school, she had several incidents of what we believed were “sleep terrors.” She would wake and run, wide-eyed and afraid straight to me in the living room. It was clear she wasn’t awake. Although she could answer “Yes” or “No” questions, the panic never left her eyes. The terror in her mind was greater than the presence of her parents. Calming her enough to return to her bed was a difficult process. After several incidents, I had an idea. I would give her the authority of the highest power she knew.

“Tell them,” I said, “that your mother says they have to go away.”

She did. It worked. “They” went away. I don’t remember if “they” ever came back. She may have just outgrown it.

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There are times when the fears in my mind seem greater than my courage. Greater than my knowledge. Greater than – dare I say it? – my faith. Those are the times when I need someone to come alongside and whisper, “Tell them that your Heavenly Father says they have to go away.” This might be a friend, but most often it’s the Holy Spirit speaking in His still, small voice. And sometimes, when I can be quiet enough, I will hear Him.

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When I needed the Lord, I looked for Him;
I called out to Him, and He heard me and responded.
He came and rescued me from everything that made me so afraid.
Psalm 34:4 The Voice

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Tell those who worry, the anxious and fearful,
“Take strength; have courage! There’s nothing to fear.
Look, here—your God! Right here is your God!
The balance is shifting; God will right all wrongs.
None other than God will give you success.
He is coming to make you safe.”
Isaiah 35:4 The Voice

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“Don’t worry if you are already in the middle of a personal storm,
it is never too late to put your trust in Jesus.”
Adam Cumpston