June 4, 2010
Taking the Time to Make a Difference
‘Be not afraid’ of God’s journey
BY PAUL R. LEINGANG
(Listen to Paul read this column | Weekly podcast)
I would be willing to bet every student in a writing class has written the same story at some time.
The hero or heroine, in a first person account, gets into some extremely difficult situation. What begins as an adventure leads to circumstances that are unfamiliar. Then the merely unfamiliar becomes dangerous. Then the dangerous becomes life-threatening. Then the writer brings the reader to an abrupt conclusion: “Then I woke up. It was only a dream.”
The stories are usually about something bad. Although we may talk about our dream home or dream date or dream vacation, the “It was only a dream” story is typically about the other side of the soul.
But nonetheless, the “only a dream” resolution to a story allows a writer to explore a topic that is truly frightening — being lost, being threatened, being alone, being discovered, being revealed.
The song, “Be not afraid,” echoes such human fears and asks us to accept the promise of God — Trust in me, follow me, and I will take care of you, I will give you rest. I will give you peace, freedom from worry – not just from outside dangers, but from inner turmoil and uncertainty as well.
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I was struck by the words of that song, many from verses in Isaiah, some from the Gospel of Matthew. What struck me was the imagery of travel, of taking a journey, of starting out in faith to face some unknown.
“You shall cross the barren desert, but you shall not die of thirst. You shall wander far in safety though you do not know the way. You shall speak your words in foreign lands and all will understand. You shall see the face of God and live.”
The words prompt me to think of the journeys I have taken, and the fears faced or forced to the side. Those are the worst ones, the fears a person pushes down and will not admit, the ones that sneak back in the dark of night.
In sunlight with committed companions, the unknown is easy; in the darkness, alone, the unknown is full of fear. That’s why a community of believers is important to me. The others on my journey have always given me strength and comfort.
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Everyday life is a journey, but life is also filled with extraordinary times. Take the time to reflect on your own life, and on the lives of your sons and daughters, your neighbors, all who have the privilege under God to be your brothers and sisters.
Here are some journeys that need the reassurance of love for each other: the first day of school, the last day of school, the first job, the first true love, the separation from family of origin, the first home purchased, the departure of the youngest child, life in the empty nest, the loss of a spouse, the need to use a cane or a walker, the end of automotive freedom, the loss of sight — the things to fear are too many to list.
Our God has promised to guide us through these travels, through these fears.
“If you pass through raging waters in the sea, you shall not drown. If you walk amid the burning flames, you shall not be harmed. If you stand before the pow’r of hell and death is at your side, know that I am with you through it all. Be not afraid.”
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Take the time today to help someone on a journey.
Give comfort to a graduate.
Help a new family in their new house down the street.
Welcome the stranger who has come to a land where people do not speak the same language.
Help provide transportation to one whose car keys have been taken away.
Stand with another, whose fear may not be your own. It is not a dream. It is our everyday reality, and we need each other to make a difference.
Comments are welcome at office@cfm.org or the Christian Family Movement, P.O. Box 925, Evansvsille, IN 47706-0925