Hope, when you have nowhere else to turn
Martha Olawale
A while back, I received a piece of news that overwhelmed me to the point of exhaustion. It was like being in a cage with all doors locked and the keys far from reach. I paced from one room to the other, sitting for a while then standing again. I was incessantly looking for a place or a position that would soothe my pain. My silly heart thought a beautiful view or some level of physical comfort would reduce my fear of the unknown.
No matter what I did, I could not run from my thoughts, and it drained me. I wanted my mind to be blank and free from being bolstered into the negative possibilities, birthed by the news. As the day draged on, each way of escape my mind came up with sent me back to the corner of fear. As I sat on the floor, my hands over my head, I knew the only thing left to do was to ask for help from the only one capable of pulling me out of the mess: God.
I closed my eyes for a minute and simply asked Jesus to put the puzzles together for me and clear the fog so I can see Him clearer in the situation.
In that instant, Isaiah 41:13 (NIV) became real to me. God was lovingly telling me “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” He reminded me I was not alone and that while it didn’t feel like it, He was holding me up.
Regardless of the situation, I felt a calm that comes only from knowing you are in God’s hands, and He won’t let go. Of course, there were no wands waving, nor was there a puff of air that changed the reality of the predicament I faced, but nothing meant more at that point than the reality of the role God plays in the affairs of my life.
My situation did not change, but my view shifted to the Almighty God, who holds the entire world in His hands.
Proverbs 29:25 states, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” I know what fear feels like; It starts with a thought and if permitted, becomes a screaming mountain. However, I am learning through my walk with Christ that fear does not have to linger. Instead of allowing it to grow into a menacing giant, I can shrink it through the washing of the Word of God.
That was not the last time I did the pacing and panicking, but with God’s assurance that day, my understanding broadened. If nothing more, I have a permanent view of a loving Father, carrying me through the waves ingrained in my mind. He is bigger than that medical, family, emotional or financial situation and committed to making sure they do not destroy us. He’s got this, and He’s got your back. Hang on as He walks you (sometimes slowly) through the cracks and twists of your emotional roller coaster.
In retrospect, you have so much more to gain sticking with Jesus Christ than to lose enduring the pain. Martha Olawale
