I was standing at one end of the hallway in our rented house in a small Texas town located south of Dallas and my youngest son, about age 2 at that time, was at the other end of the hallway playing with his toys when there was an explosion-like sound from which I jumped. At the same moment, my son screamed, running to me with his arms outstretched to me. He jumped up into my arms, locked his little legs around me and his little arms around my neck like a vice. As any mother would, I held him closely, tightly until he stopped shaking from fear, all the time speaking into his ear, calming him and finally he loosened his grip but tears were still falling from his eyes.
When I got him calmed down, I tried the best I could to explain to a 2 year old that what he heard was a fighter jet breaking the sound barrier. We lived right in the flight path of the Naval Air Station in Grand Prairie, TX and fighter jets were always flying over our house, but this time was different. After he felt assured that everything was okay, he went back to his toys and played.
This came back to my memory today and I thought, "Ya know, that's what we need to do when we have a sudden fear attack". When that kind of fear hits us it is like we have been hit so hard we are weak, paralyzed, scared out of our wits. When we experience a sudden death of one we love so deeply, a divorce that we thought would never happen, whatever the reason it is, to say the least, not at all pleasant.
How does this apply to my Christian Life? When these attacks come, and they will come, we should run to our heavenly Father and jump in his arms, lock our legs around him and lock our arms around his neck until HE soothes our emotions and calms our fears. He, like any parent, will hold us tightly until we are assured everything is going to be all right and then he releases his hold and allows us to progress in our walk. This too shall pass.
Read more articles by Connie Allen or search for articles on the same topic or others.
Yes! Yes! I go to the throne and talk with God. And you know what? He's never worried. Sometimes I just climb up into his lap. He's a very Big God! He holds every star of a billion in balance. And he directs the function of every cell with more bits of information than an sophisticated encyclopedia! We are fearfully and wonderfully made. And I know how tenderly he holds you, Connie....
I can think of no better place in the universe to be than with our arms wrapped tightly around the neck of our Father! Good lesson, well written, Connie!
