5 Days Of Navigating Hard Times: A Prairie DevotionalSample

Fear or Faith

“Miss Beadle, where are the children?” — Caroline Ingalls

Those who care for children shoulder a great responsibility. And when things go wrong, as they often do, fear can rush in. I know it happens to every parent at some point.

Teachers are like parents, except they have more children to keep track of. Miss Beadle felt the weight of responsibility when she unknowingly dismissed the students of Walnut Grove to walk home when a blizzard was coming. When faced with the unknown, we have a choice to make. God tells us to turn our backs on fear and reach for faith.

When my daughter was a toddler, six moms joined us at the beach. The umbrella-lined shore was piled thick with countless towels and coolers. Our kids built sandcastles and jumped over the small waves. We chatted among the dirty hands gripping plastic shovels.

Hours passed, and as we started to pack up, I looked for my children. I saw my son building a castle with a moat, but my daughter was nowhere in sight. All the moms jumped into action. One searched the parking lot, another the playground.

The rest of us joined hands — fear on each face — and walked slowly through the water. My heart rate soared, and I could barely keep the tears back. I expected to find my sweet girl face-down in the water.

I’d like to say God was my strength and that my faith trumped my fear. But I was consumed with panic. I prayed for peace. But seconds later, I wasn’t trusting that He knew best. I was upset He might allow an early end to my daughter’s life.

True faith silences fear. In every difficult situation, our options lie before us—fear or faith.

I did find my daughter—squatting with five new little friends down the beach, happy as a sand crab, digging. Not all stories have such happy endings. Fear is a natural reaction. But even in the midst of panic, we must hold onto the promise that God is with us and will give us peace.

Choose faith—even when everything is crashing down, even when all hope seems lost. Whether our eyes are on an entire classroom of responsibilities or on just two little munchkins, we can trust the Lord. Faith will always lead to peace.

When you are afraid do you choose fear or faith? Can you think of a time when you chose faith even in the midst of great fear?