"Be Not Afraid"

The Empty Tomb stained glass inside the chapel at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton's Church

    
     "But now, this is what the Lord says--he who created you, O Jacob (fill in your name), he who formed you, O Israel; "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior:" Isaiah 43:1-3 NIV

     "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19 NIV

     I've spent several months imprisoned by fear. It has infiltrated my thoughts, placed bars over my heart, wreaked havoc with my digestive system, and jolted my nerves into a state of high alert with its injections of adrenaline.
    Yet God has been merciful. In the fear, He has met me. He has offered me His love and comfort. He has reached out His hand of faithfulness and said, "Trust Me." At times I've allowed His peace to release me. His rest to wash over me.
     Those moments would often occur in a local chapel where His presence freed me. There before the altar, eyes resting on the Blessed Sacrament, He would meet me in worship and praise. His conscious awareness of my distress and His desire to alleviate it (Webster's definition of compassion) would soothe my fearful heart.
     After crying out to Him, I would open the hymnal to one of my favorite songs. One that would remind me of His comfort and assurance of His presence. Based on Isaiah 43:2-3, this song was written by Bob Dufford, SJ.  Being a sojourner in this Arizona desert, this song has comforted me on many barren days.

BE NOT AFRAID

"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.

"Be not afraid, I go before you always,

Come, follow Me, and I will give you rest.

"If you pass through raging waters in the sea, 

You shall not drown.

If you walk amid the burning flames,

You shall not be burned.

If you stand before the power of hell

And death is at your side,

Know that I am with you through it all.

"Be not afraid, I go before you always,

Come, follow Me, and I will give you rest."

     May His peace set us free as we battle the fears hurled at us by the enemy of our souls. In these next 40 days of Lent may we find ourselves filled with His peace.

     Thank you all for your prayers, notes, emails, and friendship that have been a tremendous support to me. I praise God every time I think of you.

From My Heart to Yours,

Linking with Word Filled Wednesdays at the Internet Cafe

Joys Sprinkled Throughout the Days

     Searching for His joys throughout the day changes my perspective. I begin to see the blessings in my life and how the Lord is working. Joy refocuses my attention on the beauty the Lord is giving me for the ashes of broken dreams, anxiety, and fear. In these past two weeks, the Lord has poured out blessings in unexpected places. Everywhere, I've seen His hand from celebrating a birthday with a dear friend to a class trip to the "Gen and Mineral Show."

     786) buds on the orange tree that was petrified by frost last year; the promise of fruit in the fall
     787) no buds on the lemon tree; another year to wait as the Lord makes all things beautiful in His time
     788) my student teaching another student how to make math arrays using brightly colored cubes
     789) hugs from my student
     790) working on the science project with my student--his enthusiasm each day as he discovered which liquid rusted the nail the fastest
     791) praying with my supervisor the day before surgery--warm hugs and tears
     792) comforting another co-worker who had received difficult news about a family member

     793) a class field trip to the "Gem and Mineral Show"--I supervised 5 of the most delightful and inquisitive children in our class
     794) sparkly quartz rocks, dazzling amethyst geodes, lapis, TV rocks, copper, and so many beautiful colors which God has placed on rocks and minerals beneath the surface of our earth

     795) celebrating a friend's birthday at a restaurant that was "new" to us.
     796) laughter, fun, smiles, special treats

   



     798) shopping after lunch in girly kitchen "toy" stores
     799) oldest son taking me to school and picking me up for several days while the car was being repaired
     800) oldest offering me comfort on a day in which the anxiety was hard to control~one hand on the steering wheel, the other stroking my back
     801) two cars in the repair shop at once
     802) a job interview for oldest with a computer company, even though he did not get the job
     803) getting pelted with gropple as I dashed from the store to my car~gropple is a mixture of rain and sleet or hail but it is much lighter than hail.. Fun snow days in the desert.
     804) Girl Scout cookies to please the whole family~Thin Mints and Samoas
     805) a text from youngest
     806) a yellow and blue floral print on a Vera Bradley bag shown in an ad. It gave me a cheerful spirit

     807) chatting with a bank employee from a branch of the same bank that I once worked for. So many people we knew in common. Another joyful moment of sharing.
     808) yummy homemade Valentine's cake
     809) grace and strength to make beef and noodle casserole.
     810) friends who continue to support me in prayer

From My Heart to Yours,