An Absense of Worry

avatar

The Bible tells me don't worry.
"Fear not for I am with you."
"I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."

The theme through the Old Testament and New Testament is to trust God and not fear. How does a person accomplish this?

The elusive element of faith is the determining factor. For those who do not have a personal relationship with God, their estimation of a believer is someone who believes in fairy tales or the invisible. My father once told me that it's ok to have a crutch and that crutches are for the weak.

I venture to believe that everyone eventually finds themselves at a place where they are at the end of their strength. For me, it came at the age of thirty-eight in the early hours of the morning when two policemen knocked on the door of our home asking for me. My husband awakened me around three am to tell me that the police wanted to speak to me because my mother was dead from a gunshot wound, and they wanted to be sure no one had murdered her.

Anxiety has a way of gripping your soul in any death, but death by suicide adds a much more complex and deeply personal layer to the grieving process.

The challenge, and struggle to upright your mental equilibrium is formidable. I dare to say without the whisper of God's assurance that He remained with me and for me, I may have chosen a different, self-destructive life, too. Instead, it let loose a deeper appreciation for life and a desire to live more fully, not just for me, but for her.
AI Art created in Blue Willow Discord

Blue Willow

This is my five-minute freewrite
using prompt don't worry by @mariannewest. I challenge you to join the challenge and add @freewritehouse for regular contests!

hive-161155 aliveandthriving ocd teamusa palnet neoxian
0
0
0.000
20 comments
avatar

pixresteemer_incognito_angel_mini.png
Bang, I did it again... I just rehived your post!
Week 148 of my contest just started...you can now check the winners of the previous week!
!BEER
1

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

You found strength in a time when most would feel weak. The power of God was and is with you.

!ALIVE

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Your mother died of a gunshot wound? How awful that visit must have been!

She would have loved your art. I do.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

The visit and my ex-husband's horrible presentation of it is forever burned into my brain. She committed suicide using her second husband's gun.
Mom was the third of five sisters to commit suicide. She was the youngest of the siblings.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Oh my gosh! This story gets more and more horrible! I don't know what to say. Are any of the other sisters still living? How does one live with that?

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

The two remaining sisters passed of old age in the last couple years, the last one last year. Now it's our generation to carry on with the yearly family reunion.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

And thank you for the compliment on the art ❤️🙌
Both parents encourage my art. Dad loves art and dabbled with it, too. @owasco
!ALIVE

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

First, i want to offer my condolences for the suicides in your family. It has a lasting and permeating impact few can even begin to comprehend.

Second, i wouldn't consider faith a crutch. But i do think that when we are weak it's an opportunity to experience a profound depth of humility. God resists the proud but has grace for the humble. Your dad's words reminded me of a couple of scriptures.

2 Corinthians 12:10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

2 Corinthians 13:3 since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you. 4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.

The scripture instructs that when we are weak HE is made strong and that will activate a better opportunity within us to conquer fear, anxiety, worry, and all the other emotions that are absolutely normal responses for humans to have under duress or dealing and coping with trauma of all sorts.

When we put Him first, then our own concerns decompress a bit. But it usually takes hitting the rock bottom before we begin to look up. When we have all the strength we need, we generally tend to forget Him and believe that we don't need any help. It's when we need help that we tend to reach out for that LifeLine.

Ironically, as the scripture you quoted... HE IS ALWAYS THERE AND WILL NOT FORSAKE YOU! It may FEEL as though we have been forsaken at times... but our feelings are usually fueled by our egos which usually has pride in the driver's seat.

I hope this comment doesn't sound too preachy but i thought a few words of wisdom may be consolatory.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Thank you for you thoughts. I don't feel that you're preachy at all. I embrace the truths of scripture and am born again. I walk with the Lord and I think Dad got a glimpse of his need for Christ when he had covid and double pneumonia in October of 2020. I'm praying for confirmation of his conversion when God opens the door for thisdiscussion. My sister, whom I've prayed for years, has received Christ this past year and denounced the occult which she practiced as a result of a severe case of long covid. Thank you for the scriptures
God bless you.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Wow, that is awesome to hear! Looks like covid may have spiritually backfired on the forces of darkness! I am sure you know best, but simplicity is the key when trying to help those closest to you come to the cross. My dad finally submitted before his passing because of the influence of Love. He had always been angry and wrestling with God most his life. He finally got debilitated and very sick. God kept him alive just long enough to bond with his grandchildren and to experience the love of Christ from my mother and I. Those were the best and worst years of my life being his caretaker. But, to see him humble himself and submit made it all worthwhile. Sometimes we have to longsuffer through some very difficult times to get to the top of that 'ol mountain.

I will be keeping you in my prayers, and God bless you and your family! Nice to meet a fellow born again believer on Hive.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

That is a beautiful story of redemption and I pray every day for God's grace to draw each of my family to Christ. I know that it's His will that all men be saved and that when we pray in His will he hears us, so I wait in Hope!
It's nice to meet a brother here!
Thank you for your prayers. I covet them :).

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I will be praying the same for HIS will to be done in the lives of your family members and yourself! The synergistic power of prayer is far more powerful than most realize. God hears our prayers (even if they aren't in His will) and the Indwelling Holy Spirit can make up the difference praying with/for us, and we have the King of Kings sitting at the right hand of the throne of the Father (until He takes His rightful place on that throne) interceding in prayer for us, as well. Our prayers move faster than light... and He is the Light of the world and more! Prayers move at the speed of Love and as humans, our prayers are instantly received at that throne to be heard. It's incredible and totally overlooked as one of the most offensive and defensive techniques in spiritual warfare.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I say Amen to this! God bless you and yours, too.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Congratulations @wandrnrose7! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)

You received more than 160000 upvotes.
Your next target is to reach 170000 upvotes.

You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP

Check out our last posts:

Happy Birthday to the Hive Community
The Hive Gamification Proposal
0
0
0.000
Reply