Scared Of The UnknownSample

By Baylee Mauro

Many of us live much of our lives under the illusion that we are in control. But when our circumstances start turning in the wrong direction, we are confronted with the truth that we actually have very little control. Then the gap between our illusion of control and our reality gets filled with anxiety. 

When we lost our second baby to an early miscarriage, I could not foresee how it would implant fear deep into my heart for the next time I got pregnant. It was as if the time and energy I spent wrestling with anxiety gave me a little control over the life of our third baby. If I just worried enough, thought through the possible outcomes enough, let my heart gamble on the statistics I read enough, I would be able to handle this.

We often choose to hold that anxiety with tightly closed hands, as if the tighter we hold on, the more control we will have. Our fear spirals out of control and we lose heart. The reality is that we do not gain control through fear, but our fear usually ends up controlling us. 

But don’t lose heart. If the anxiety you are carrying is weighing you down right now, lay it at the feet of Jesus. Open up your tightly closed hands to surrender and let God renew your heart with his peace. He is good. Let him show you. 

Questions for Reflection:

· In what area of your life is your anxiety making you lose heart? 

· Plan one way you can start to hand that anxiety over to God.