No Fear - Marnie Pohlmann

Have you ever been afraid?

Not the my-brother-jumped-out-and-scared-me-fear but life-changing fear. When-your-heart-is-pounding-so-loud-you-are-sure-everyone-can-hear-it fear. Running-through-prickly-brambles-to-get-away fear. Hitting-and-kicking-fighting-for-your-life fear. Unable-to-move-holding-your-breath fear. Wide-eyed, unbelievable fear.

I have been afraid. Childhood fear of a late-night visitor. Parent fear of my blue-tinged baby girl not breathing in her crib and fear of my unborn son not living to birth. Fear of my husband not living through a motorcycle accident, and of him needing a ventilator to keep breathing, and of him not beating cancer. I have been afraid for myself and for others.

Today, we see many people are in fear. Fear of an invisible illness. Fear for loved ones who are at risk. Fear of losing investments, their job, or their home. Fear of the change this pandemic is forcing in the way things work in our world. Fear of today and for the future, for themselves, and for others.

We hear both Christians and non-believers fearing this pandemic indicates the end times. We see people angry at the restrictions placed on their lives. We see them attacking the ones they love and those they do not even know. We hear of those who are taking drastic, fatal measures to end their uncertainty. We see hopelessness.

How did the disciples feel after the death of Jesus, before the women burst in to tell them Christ has risen?  Most of the disciples were gathered, hiding in fear. Fear of being arrested and put to death, as their Rabbi had been. Grieving all their expectations of the future that were not to be. Confused at the change of burying their Saviour brought to what they believed. Fear of what that loss meant for them, and for their community. Perhaps they were even hopeless.

But the relief when they finally understood what their loss had accomplished! Christ defeated death, has risen, and provided the only sacrifice suitable and needed in order to bring us once again into the presence of God. Sadness and despair ended when the Spirit of God brought power into the room, into these believers.

This was life-changing. This was world-changing! 

Some of you have recently participated in the season of Lent, and although we have since celebrated Easter, you may still feel that we remain in Lent. Sacrificing and waiting. Or do you feel like the disciples in those hours between Jesus’ death and the confirmation of his resurrection? Confusion, uncertain of what to do, and fearful. Even questioning if what you believe is true or makes any difference at all to your life, to the world?

I urge you to think instead of “the rest of the story.” Christ is risen. The Spirit of God is with us, in us. When the disciples experienced this the world was changed, and the difference it made in their lives is the difference it can make in our lives today.

Yes, situations that cause fear can and will enter our lives. Even as followers of the All-powerful, Sovereign God, we will still experience times of fear. Does fear in your life make you flee, fight, or freeze? These are common, expected responses, yet believers are not called to any of these responses.

God asks us to face fear by standing firm, being at peace, and sharing.

God said to Joshua, and says to us,

“Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous.”

(Joshua 10:25a NIV)

Jesus said to his disciples, and this same message is to believers today,

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the

world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not be fearful.”

(John 14:27 NIV)

Whether or not we can leave our homes, we can still “go into all the world” to share the Good News. This is an opportunity to show, to live, the Hope we have. This Hope provides a changed life despite and beyond illness, isolation, and despair. As Christian writers, we already have the tools needed, in a time of socially distant relationships, to share this Hope.

Hope that is life-changing. Hope that is world-changing!

Friend, we can live today with no fear. Be confident in and share the Hope and Peace of God.

Pictures courtesy of Pixabay.com

Marnie Pohlmann lives, works, and writes in northern British Columbia, presently from home. While she has not posted on her personal blog, Phosphorescent, for a long while, perhaps the present pandemic changes to how we communicate will encourage her to share in that way more often. After all, this post suggests we as Christian writers are called to do just that, each in our unique way.

The Gift Is In His Presence - by Gloria Guest

Once again I struggled to write this blog post. It wasn’t for lack of wanting to but simply because I couldn’t figure out what direction to take; just what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it. The subject of gifts is an expansive one with many avenues that could be written about, especially at Christmas time. I pondered the subject all month but the more I thought on it, the less decisive I felt. I didn’t feel as if I could possibly hear what God wanted me to say or that I had anything worth saying.

It’s only been in the past two years that I’ve finally recognized the presence of anxiety in my life. I came to know the ugly face of depression fairly early in my adult life, but anxiety’s presence alluded me, most likely I was shocked to realize, because I had always lived with it, even from infancy (I was able to pinpoint this time frame due to remembering things my mother had told me about myself in my early days).  For me, anxiety had always been present in my life, due to early childhood trauma and so it was as normal as the rising of the sun each day. I live with it. But not always well.

Indecision is a part of anxiety for me and therefore plays a role in all of my choices and decisions that I make each day. Some decisions are monumental for me and although writing is a joy, deciding what to write about usually isn’t.

This morning I took a random ink blot test on line that was supposed to reveal your inner struggles. My results turned out very accurate stating that I was ‘often overwhelmed with life and felt as if life was a huge test for which I hadn’t studied’. It’s like they read my mail! It also said that if I would learn to relax I wouldn’t find things to be quite so difficult. Huh! Easy for them to say!

Still, I decided that since I didn’t know what to write about I’d ‘relax’ by cleaning out my purse. And as I did I found one of those little cards that the Salvation Army gives you when you make a donation at the store. I’d forgotten about it but decided to read the inside. Here is what it said:

“I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27 (NLT) Underneath were written the words:

We are not alone as we face every challenge in life because God is not only with us, He is within us!

In one simple act of ‘relaxing,’ God gave me first of all the reassurance that He is always there for me in all of my anxiety and indecision and secondly He gave me direction as to what to write about.

Still anxiety crept in around the edges and I hesitated. It’s hard to be honest about where I’m at. I’d much rather write about where I’ve been and how I’ve conquered. But I kept sensing the words, “If you don’t write the truth, why write?”

God wanted me to write the truth, to write about the struggle I was in right this moment. Because that is where He meets me; in the moment, with His good gifts that only He can give. The gift is in His Presence.

The Giving Season by Karma Pratt

Ah, Christmas. So much joy and so much fun. Or... so much stress and so much darkness. Depending on your experiences, Christmas can mean merriment and wonder, or possibly sadness and dismay. I have been blessed to experience more of the merriment than the sadness in my life. When I look beyond my own comfy corner, though, I see a world where many are struggling and it makes me aware of the importance of not taking our good life for granted. In the blustery busyness of this season, we can get caught up in the whirlwind and forget what matters most. 

I want to step away from the platitudes, the millions of "Happy Holidays" and "Merry Christmases" spoken by rote, rather than by heart. I want to move toward more meaningful exchanges: kindness shared over cups of coffee and breaking of bread, or even just a genuine exchange between strangers at the grocery store.

I want to separate myself from the myriad of commercialized notions of what Christmas is and how we celebrate together: Trim the tree, stuff the bird, stuff the family, sit back, relax, eat too much, show "love" through mountains of sweet treats piled high on platters, and witness the tightening of waistbands in the aftermath.

Instead I pray for thanks offerings and gratitude, for open hearts and minds, for the opportunity to offer our best - not in trade - but without thought of reciprocation, recognizing the grace poured out over us by the One who gave it all and sharing that grace freely.

I want to step back from the need to "count the cost" of each gift under the tree. "Did we spend the same on each child? Have we treated everyone fairly?" my inner worrier wonders. Perhaps the blessing is to be found in our presence rather than the piles of presents?

With that in mind, I want to give my children gifts that last. My presence at the table is better than any toy I can wrap. My patience, love and kindness, ever growing and brightening through Jesus' transformation of this old heart, are more valuable than glitter and gold. His new mercy everyday leads to my renewal. What a blessing, and what a gift to be able to pass along to those I love the most. 

I want to step away from my desire to buy into the sparkling lights and shiny wrapping, and remember all those who won't be celebrating Christmas with friends and family this year.  

The reality is, sometimes all we can give is our hearts in gratitude and our hands in prayer. These become the offering when nothing else will do. As part of Advent this year, I wrote a prayer for Syrian refugees. I just kept thinking, "what do you give when you have nothing left?" This is the answer I came up with: Advent - Beyond Measure

I have many jumbled thoughts on what to give and how to live this Christmas season. At the end of the day, I offer you this blessing (courtesy of Jesus): 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

Wishing you joy and peace throughout the giving season.

In Jesus' name,

Karma

______

Karma Pratt is a faith-driven mom of twins, a communicator, a writer, and an encourager from way back. She loves words, art, creativity, God, and people, although not necessarily in that order. 

You can find Karma online at redraincoatcreations.com or connect on Twitter, Facebook, & LinkedIn

My Peace I Give You - Linda Aleta Tame

My Peace I Give You


There's a big difference between peace and chaos, isn't there? At least we think there is.  But during the Christmas season, it seems we must skillfully balance between the two, and sometimes the boundary is blurred.

We sing Joy to the World, or Peace on Earth while we scurry through department stores in the shopping frenzy of the holidays.  We make lists, plan menus, coordinate schedules, organize concerts and attend Christmas parties.  We bake shortbread with cherries in the middle, make caramel corn, wrap gifts with colorful paper and shiny bows, stuff stockings and constantly hunt for the Scotch Tape or the pen we had in our hands just moments ago.  We purchase trees (or assemble them), hang lights, decorate with tinsel, and prepare beds for overnight guests.  Oh, and we eat...oh yes, we eat!  It's all so wonderful, isn't it?

"It doesn't have to be perfect," we say, but in some ways we believe it does have to be perfect.  It's Christmas.  Oh, we can handle it if the cat pulls the tree over, or if the kids guess what their gifts are.  It's okay if we forget the coleslaw in the fridge during Christmas dinner, if we forget to chill the cranberries, or even if we forget to turn the oven on to bake the turkey.  These things we can laugh about, if not now, then later.

Some things though, are just simply not okay.  It's not okay if we're offended, if we slam doors, if we have melt-downs or start ugly crying.  It's not okay if our words are hurtful, or if we pout in our bedrooms.  It's also not okay if we frantically throw on our coats and go walking while gritting our teeth in the cold, alone, especially if we forgot our mitts.  "These things must not happen," we say, but we know it's possible when twenty-nine family members get together, when the house is full of noise and activity.  That's when anxiety threatens to destroy whatever peace on earth we thought we had.

Maybe the walk in the cold, or a little time alone to process the chaos (pouting?) is not such a terrible thing.  Sometimes it's exactly what we need to remember the reason we're going about all this activity.  Maybe we need to remember that His peace is not the same as the peace we expect in the world.  In fact, His peace takes into consideration that we're human beings.  There will be occasions that are difficult, there will be hurt feelings, doors will slam.  We can do our best, but we can't control everything, nor should we want to.

Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, experienced birth and death in the midst of chaos, yet He left us with peace, and continues to give us peace.  It's the kind of peace that reigns in our hearts.  If our hearts are anxious, we need to take time to remember that He IS our peace.  We can't always change the circumstances, but we can walk through anything by receiving His gracious provision.  

May you be filled with joy and be comforted by His peace this season!

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Photo Compliments of Sharon Webb.