“…I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”
~ Hebrews 12:26
Can you feel it? The world is shaking. It’s shaking where we didn’t expect it to shake. What was once considered stable has become unstable. Things we once trusted are no longer trustworthy. Safety and security are still in the dictionary, but their definitions change by the hour.
When the world shakes, fear shakes free. It takes up residence next door. It comes over unannounced and makes itself at home. It’s the neighbor from hell.
Max Lucado eloquently describes fear as oversized and rude, unwilling to share the heart with happiness. As a result, happiness complies and leaves. It’s true isn’t it? You never see fear and happiness together. They can’t coexist.
Fear is trying to dig its callous claws into my family. My brother-in-law is facing the fight of his life. Dan, an executive with General Motors, has the kind of intellect that I have always envied; the scary smarts of an engineer. He has a lovely new home, a beautiful wife, and two incredible daughters.
The storm clouds didn’t slowly gather in the distance. There were few warning signs of what was to come. Fear rained down almost overnight. Suddenly Dan started losing track of everyday items like his car keys and his glasses. One day he said he felt a little “drunk.” Tests revealed the worst; stage 4 brain cancer. The world had shaken; fear’s moving truck backed into the driveway.
But fear might have some trouble finding room in Dan’s house. You see, courage lives there too. “Our family has chosen not to wallow in pity,” Dan’s wife, Darby explains. “Instead, we take the challenge head on. We use it as a chance to draw closer as a family, realizing that each day is precious.” When I call Darby, a bright, cheerful voice answers the phone, and I can see fear losing its grip. The bully cowers. The junkyard dog whimpers; its tail between its legs. Fear’s foes—laughter, love, and togetherness are too powerful.
“I feel totally helpless against Dan’s cancer, but what I can do is make him laugh every day,” says Darby, who gets plenty of help with that from her two hilarious daughters. “What we can do is create positive memories each day.” I just saw fear running from itself. I wonder if my sister-in-law knows how courageous she is.
Randy Pausch liked to tell people that he was in wonderful shape, except for the ten tumors in his liver. In his book, The Last Lecture, he says “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.”
Of course fear will have its day. But as daunting as they seem…worry, dread, failure, rejection, and calamity are limited; limited by courage, hope, and most of all, faith.
What if we listened more closely to what Jesus said over and over again? “Don’t be afraid.” “Take courage.” “Do not fear.” “Don’t let your hearts be troubled.” What if we listened to the promise that follows; “Trust in God, trust also in me.”
The world is shaking. It’s not going to stop. In the midst of this, we search for stability. Darby takes a break from caring for her husband and says, “Stability comes from within.” I agree. And I know who put it there.
