My husband and I have recently gone through some stressful times. To begin with, he was injured in a motorcycle accident. Nothing life-threatening, thank the Lord, but we didn't know that at first. We spent five hours in the emergency room waiting for CAT scans and X-rays and so on. There's nothing quite as stressful as long hours in the hospital ER when the threat of emergency brain surgery looms like a dark cloud over someone you love.
The hospital released my husband that night. We arrived home after dark, and walked through the door to find our house had been broken into. Our belongings lay in piles all over the floors, every drawer upended, closets ransacked. The thieves had stolen jewelry, financial documents, checks, credit cards, passports, and any portable electronic they could get their hands on including my laptop. (I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that my laptop holds a digital record of my life as a writer!) A week later, I still found myself reaching for something and realizing it was gone, which brought back the sense of violation all over again.
And then, to add insult to injury, twelve days later the thieves returned. Yep - they hit our house again, and the second time they got into our safe. Among the items they stole the second time was an expensive, irreplacable heirloom ring belonging to my great-grandmother. That hurt.
Now, either of these situations on their own would be a major stress inducer. The first two occurring in a single day is enough to send someone into a panic attack, or at least cause facial tics. The third was just painful. You know when Jesus told us to turn the other cheek? I kept thinking, "I'm running out of cheeks, Lord."
The amazing thing is that I haven’t been anxious. I was concerned for my husband, of course, but I wasn’t anxious. I knew God would take care of him. And I’m angry with the thieves who violated my home, but I’m not asking for tranquilizers to help me cope. I mourned the loss of my possessions, especially the heirloom, but I'm not anxious. In fact, through everything, I’ve remained calm. Amazingly calm. Supernaturally calm. People have even commented on it. “You’re certainly taking this well,” a friend said, with a touch of admiration in her voice. “I’d be a basket case.”
I’ve felt this sense of calm before, and I recognize the Source. It’s nothing I can pat myself on the back for – it’s a gift from my Savior. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you,” Jesus said. The apostle Paul called it the peace that transcends all understanding, and we have it at our disposal because Jesus gave it to us. When circumstances are so troubling that we might be tempted to go sit in a corner and suck our thumbs, we can breathe easy because of the divine gift of peace. We can trust Him in even the most worrisome circumstances, because Jesus also said, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” When I really need Him, when the big things happen, Jesus steps in with an extra helping of His supernatural peace.
You know what? He’ll step into our less troubling circumstances, too. I tend to forget that when the little stressers happen. But this situation has served as a divine reminder. If He can keep me calm in the midst of overwhelming tragedy, He’ll do the same when I’ve misplaced my car keys. There’s no need to freak out. He has overcome the world!
As an aside, if you ride a motorcycle, I hope you are properly outfitted with protective clothing. In this case, a helmet saved my husband’s life. For my thoughts on protective clothing, read my Journal entry from last year here.
Biblical Fiction
Sweet Intrigue
