Fearless

Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? 

- Matthew 8:26

Chapter 3 starts off describing a boy and his outgoing, do it all personality; followed by a downward spiral of addiction to alcohol for 4 decades; to the last two years of his life where he found some inner resolve to mend his life, family, and marriage.

Awaking at 4 a.m. with chest pains, he was quickly rushed to the hospital on an ambulance and his family planned to meet him there.

But he wasn't able to make it to the hospital... 

He was gone.

But in the midst of taking his last breathes, he found inner strength to relay one final message...

"His hand was resting on the top of his thigh with the two center fingers folded in and the thumb extended, the universal sign-language symbol for "I love you."'

I read this a few days ago, in a book I'm reading by Max Lucado about life. After coming across this part of the book I could relate to the author in how he described himself trying to imagine what his brother must have felt in those last moments of his life. 

"I've tried to envision the final moments of my brother's earthly life: racing down a Texas highway in an ambulance through an inky night, paramedics buzzing around him, his heart weakening within him. Struggling for each breath, at some point he realized only a few remained. But rather than panic, he quarried some courage.

Perhaps you could use some. An ambulance isn't the only ride that demands valor. You may be not be down to your final heartbeat, but you may be down to your last paycheck, solution, or thimble of faith. Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear."

Max Lucado then goes on to write about fear and the different, but many situations in which fear takes hold and occupies the heart. How it is oversized, rude, and unwilling to share the heart with happiness. And how it makes so much noise and takes up so much room, but it does little good. How fear corrodes our confidence in God's goodness.

Then he goes on to talk about FAITH, COURAGE and how life would be if our default reaction to threats were FAITH! And how it is possible to have faith when we place our trust, hope, and dependence on Christ. Look at Jesus' track record! When fear takes over faith it creates a spiritual amnesia, dulls our memory, and causes us to forget what Jesus has done and how good God is. 

Don't let fear shape our lives and have safety become our God. "The worship of safety emasculates greatness."

Promises of God and truths to live by:

So don't be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows. - Matthew 10:31 NCV

Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven. - Matthew 9:2 NASB

I tell you not to worry about everyday life-- whether you have enough. - Matthew 6:25 NLT

Take courage. I am here! - Matthew 14:27 NLT

Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. - Matthew 10:28

Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. - Luke 12:32

Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me... I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. - John 14:1, 3 NLT

Don't be troubled or afraid. - John 14:27

"Why are you frightened?" he asked. "Why are your hearts filled with doubt?' - Luke 24:38

Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid" - Matthew 17:7

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Jesus doesn't want us to live in a state of fear and neither do we! "Fear may fill our world, but it doesn't have to fill our hearts. It will always knock on our door. Just don't invite it in for dinner, and for heaven's sake don't offer it a bed for the night. Let's embolden our hearts with a select number of Jesus' "do not fear" statements. The promise of Christ and the contention of this book are simple:

We can fear less tomorrow than we do today."

I'm still sore from my accident and I don't know the long terms affects, I need to find a lawyer from Texas for my case, and because of this situation that is still pending on many levels, I feel like all other things are on pause. Moving into my home, getting my license to find a job, getting a car, community, etc...

But I'm realizing more and more that life does throw some curve balls. It stinks at the time and I call sulk and cry for a bit cus its okay. But I can't let it take the center of my heart and allow fear to take root, because God is in control of all things for he is sovereign so I need to have FAITH!

So thank you God for my family. Thank you for my moms car that she sometimes shares... LOL! Thank you for my health. Thank you that you are providing open doors and windows to slowly get my "situations" under control. Thank you for the amazing friends you have provided in the past for me to meet and currently know. 

And most importantly Thank You for your promises about being fearless that are true yesterday, today, and forever!