Defying the What Ifs

I worry about a lot of things. I'm getting better as I get older (another advantage to aging), but I still lay awake some nights feeling very small and inept to handle life's problems.

I worry about the big stuff, like how we'll get four kids through college and how long our vehicles will last and how we'll ever be able to retire.

But I also sweat small stuff, like what if I don't like a new furniture arrangement or what my kids will get for lunch or whether I should color my hair or not.

And then there's things I should never waste the energy on. What if I never amount to more than I am right now? What if I never make a mark on this world? What if I don't have it in me to reach my goals? What if God's plans are different than mine?

What if I become disabled? What if my husband dies suddenly? What if God calls us to move? What if our income is drastically slashed? What if someone I love is diagnosed with cancer? What if an accident claims the life of someone in my family?

I know I go to the extreme, but these things happen to people every day. Why wouldn't they happen to me? It's tough to live on planet earth. And painful. And scary. Who knows what a day will bring?

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 ESV

I cannot predict the future. I can only live for today. Yet whatever is ahead for me, God tells me I will not go through it alone. Whatever tragedy, joy or sorrow are to come, I am commanded to be courageous, to press on despite the fear inside, because I am never alone.

YOU are never alone.

Never.

So when the "what if"s wail, I pump myself up instead of drag myself down.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed.

I replace anxiety with Truth.

The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Even if I have to say it 347 times, I keep repeating it.

The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

And somehow the words seep into my being.

The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

And I start to believe it.

The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

The fear dissipates.

The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

And I know I can handle tomorrow.

The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

You can do it too, friends. Defy your "what if"s. Believe the Truth.

The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Amen.

To read what this quote reminded others of, click over to Typing One-Handed.