You Can Stay Strong If Disaster Comes

Every day of every year newscasters report the latest bad news of the day. Tornadoes. Floods. Fires. Blog. Hurricane. FL. 10.18

Most often disasters occur far distant from our daily lives, so we can breathe a sigh of relief.

So we pray for the victims and we also thank God, especially if the "whatever" is far enough away to miss us and our family. 

There's no place to hide from the seemingly endless procession of mystery viruses. The never-ending scary headlines. Unrest within these United States of America.

No wonder low-level fear lurks within us, waiting to spring. We do our best to tune it out and paste on a calm, happy face.

Then a fire destroys a home down the street. Thieves empty a neighbor's house. A drunk driver hits someone crossing the street and leaves the victim paralyzed.

Immediately our mind goes to That could be me! Or someone I love! We shudder and think, "Please, God, don't let that happen to me."

But sometimes it does.

What if what we dread hits too close to home to ignore?

Pink slips or a business that doesn't make it ends the paycheck(s) we counted on. A dream dies. A lab test reveals a life-threatening illness. Someone we love dies.

Once we stop reeling from the shock we realize there's no escaping this awful new reality. 

And we cannot find one particle of good in any of it.

At times like that we may feel abandoned, as if our Heavenly Father loves every other person on the face of the earth but us. We know that's not true, but still, our pain and fear weigh us down.

Somehow, somehow we make it through one day after the other.

When tragedy threatens--or strikes--what keeps people going?

Counselors and TV personalities offer thousands of words of advice. Most of it boils down to, "Simply change the way you look at your situation. Visualize yourself as strong and fearless and refuse to think any negative thoughts."

Yeah, sure.

These "experts" would be out of business if any of us knew how to do this.

Yet we needn't dissolve into a puddle of fear. Strength that goes way beyond our own is available at any time.

God's strength.  

Peace-in-the-midst is as available as the air we breathe

The best antidote to fear--and the only one I ever found that works--is to fill my mind with Bible verses like these. I repeat them over to myself, aloud or silently. Here are a few I love: 

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."   Joshua 1:9 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”   Philippians 4:6,7 

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold of my  life; of whom shall I be afraid?     Psalm 27:1 

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”     John 16:33 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”    John 14:2  

In good times or bad, we are not alone

And we are not powerless. Jesus walks with us through whatever may come. Always. Every day. Every moment. Every second.

Yes, the horror may come near us. Tragedy of one sort or another may change our lives, simply because we are human beings and we live in this imperfect world. We may feel we have no strength--physical, mental or emotional--to go on.

That's the time to hang onto Bible verses like this:

 ... In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.   Romans 8:37.

As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus, whatever comes will not destroy us. 

Count on it.

Count on it!

Trusting, too,

Lenore


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