"Be Strong and Fear" Not by Kristin Wooldridge
Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong, fear not.”
(Isaiah 35:4 ESV)
Uhm. Okay. It isn’t that easy sometimes.
It would be wonderful to enter the holidays without an anxious heart. For many, the holidays can bring on a great deal of stress and anxiety. Peace on earth and in one’s self can feel out of reach.
All seems fine for me until I remember this is our 16th Christmas without Ruby, Amon’s Mom. She loved holidays, time together, and preparing feasts. She knew three of her ten grandchildren, and I long for her to sit with them and listen to their grand stories. So when the missing sets in, it starts a snowball of longing for those who have passed away. That snowball starts rolling down the hill of life. It picks up little by little with the stress and anxieties of life. And most of the time, those are fun things! Watching our kids in music performances, theatre shows, and holiday events get added to the calendar.
All the busyness, mixed with longing, can really make my heart anxious. And of course, throw in a couple of unplanned heartaches, expenses, and Missouri weather, and my snowball keeps growing.
It builds as time goes. It starts to feel so big that it pushes joy, balance and rest out of the way. I believe that by today, December 16, I am going to need this reminder from Isaiah 35:4.
Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong, fear not.”
I will need to refocus on peace because a thrill of hope will make the weary world rejoice.
Perhaps by December 16, you will feel like a snowball rolling downhill. Growing with anxiety, fear, and stress.I know I am not alone with this struggle.
Remembering that I have God’s abundant and extravagant love is counter-cultural. It is that thrill of hope. Seeking peace over pressure is holy. It takes work. It takes intentional practice daily.
I will be focusing on that. You pray for me, and I will pray for you as we seek God’s love and strength.