Several years ago, in the upheaval of an unexpected move to a different country, I’m struggling.
Questions speak loud. Wake me in the night.
What if it’s the wrong place?
What if it doesn’t work?
What if we can’t get permission to stay?
What if…?
Doubts about the future linger. Rising from underlying fear. In a long season of unanswered questions.
Storm
One morning I rise. After another restless night. In temporary quarters.
Questions compete in my thoughts.
Clamoring. Frantic. Relentless.
A storm. In my mind.
What if?
We’re living out of suitcases. Again. Shoes stacked. Clothes hanging over chairs.
Piles here and there in this interim space.
I weave my way through chaos. To an island of order. The desk. Cleared of everything except a lamp, my Bible, journal, and pens.
Even as I sit, the list of doubts pummels. “What if…?”
Unexpected
Then I open my Bible to read the day’s assigned reading.
And the unexpected happens.
In the midst of “what if…?”, I hear slow, deliberate words. Steady and firm.
“Do not fear.”
Stilled
And then? Sudden silence.
The only way to describe it? Like entering a vacuum. Nothing.
The storm of fearful thoughts? Gone.
The waves of doubt? Stilled.
Do not fear
Sometimes in the storm of change and upheaval. The twists and turns in the road. The unsettled concerns and “what if” questions. I need a firm but gentle reminder.
Do not fear.
Trust.
Listen.
Follow Me.
How I love Him.
“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 NIV
What about you?
Have you struggled with “what if…”? How has the Lord stilled your storm?
Related posts
Trust Me – Follow Me – Storm – Refuge – Temporary nest – Broken bowl and the Potter – Fear and fear not – He is enough – Trust in the Lord – The long obedience – Parenting in the spiritual battle – Entering the land –
9 replies on “What if?”
Always timely! Thanks for listening to Him in your writing.
“What if” has been a loud voice in my mind lately! This post is a great reminder!
When our oldest son and daughter-in-law left Sunday morning for fetal surgery in Texas this week, we shared Isaiah 41:10 with them.
Our God is with us. He is strengthening and helping us, and upholding us with His righteous right hand. Praying for Ryan, Rachel, and baby Levi.
Grace to you all. Praying now for Ryan, Rachel, and baby Levi.
Thank you so much, Susan!
Yes.
While we should of course always be careful, thoughtful, and prayerful about the decisions we take, we also need to remember that once we have taken those steps then we are doing whatever it was that was in God’s wisdom, and that when done, however it may turn out, it is part of HIs sovereign plan for us.
Thank you for sharing. A friend of mine says, “The certainty of God’s sovereignty is the source of my sanity.” Thankful for God’s wisdom and how He directs our paths.
My reply to the what ifs of life is even if. Habakkuk 3:16b-19
Amen!