“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10
There have been many moments in my life where I have been afraid of what is to come. Often in my life, I am approached by someone who does not know what to do when they have lost a loved one or are seeking prayer for the next steps in their lives. I too have been in this situation.
Often, I find myself offering advice to just find a quiet place and scream at the top of your lungs. I offer this advice because of my own history. In 2018, I lost my mother and my home on the same day. First, I watched my house burn down. While I was watching my house burn, I called my mom. It was the middle of the night, and I did not know what to do. She spent the entire phone call comforting me, hearing me scream and cry not knowing what is to come next. I got my answer quickly. Sometime between that 1 AM phone call and the morning, my mom passed away. When I got that call from my brother all I could do is fall to my knees and scream at the top of my lungs. I did not know what to do in this instance.
Once rationality kicked back in, I turned to the Isaiah scripture. Isaiah reminds me that no matter what happens, God will be there with me. Whenever I feel dismayed, I remember these words as well, “if God can bring you to it, God can bring you through it.” I have these words on the wall in my office. When I am helping someone else, hearing a story of fear, or a story of not knowing what will happen next, I say scream out and then turn to God in prayer and to the Bible. God is always with us. I will not fear, even the unknown.
Powerful God, I know you are always with me. I know that you are a strong God, a loving God, and a healing God. If you can bring me to it, you can bring me through it. I only need to reach out to you. Continue to heal those who are afraid of what is to come. Amen.
Billy Sander is the pastor of Eureka UMC