Do Not Be Afraid

The angel spoke these words over Mary’s life, God spoke these words over His people in the Old Testament, and Jesus speaks these words to us repeatedly in the New Testament. To quote my three-year-old daughter, “but why Mama? why did Jesus say that?”

Much like the conversations I have most days with my little one, I will never fully comprehend the mysteries of this life well enough to give a satisfactory answer. However, some scholars have noted that this phrase has been mentioned in the bible 365 times and note that it is repeated more than any other thing God could think to speak to us. But why?

The three-year-old in me ponders this too. Especially in this season. Our family is coming off of three years of an intense, unexplained, unexpected chronic illness. Doctors have been baffled and there have been many tear-filled days, misunderstood, and feeling alone. Frustration, doubt, lack of trust. Have you ever been there too? Have you ever had days that feel like they will never end, with spiritual dark nights that leave you feeling hopeless and afraid?

And yet, as my husband and I left Adoration today, these words were burning in our hearts. With tears in my husband’s eyes, he said that the Creator of the universe spoke these very words to him as he knelt on his knees in humble prayer, and I looked at him and said, “He said that to me too.” Do not be afraid little children. Trust me. I have a good plan for your life, and your suffering will bless others. Why are these the four most profound words ever spoken and the four most difficult words to believe? Why is it easier for me to believe that God literally dwells with us in a tiny piece of bread than it is for me to not be afraid?

I know the answer to that one. It’s because I’ve been hurt before. I’ve been let down, disappointed, and crushed. I question, because I know what true sorrow is. I know what it means to experience the tragedy of sin and the frailty of the human condition. I know what it means to be pierced to the depths of my soul with grief, suffering, and pain. Why would I trust? How could I not be afraid?

And yet, as I looked back at that tiny piece of bread, mighty in power, glowing in the candlelight through clouds of misty incense, I was pierced to the very depths of my soul with an unshakable and profound peace. And a small but mighty voice whispered to my hardened heart, “Do not be afraid, daughter. I am in this with you.” And just like that, the sea was calm, and like Peter stepping out of the boat and then sinking in his own fear, doubt, and distrust, I called out to my Creator, and He grabbed me by the hand and pulled me back to where I could breathe again. He pulled me back into His arms and reminded me that His Love goes before me and surrounds me always. Even when things are dark, when they don’t make sense, and everyone has abandoned you, “Fear not, for I am with you.”

This… this is our God. The God who is so profoundly misunderstood as the one who causes our suffering. When in fact, only the opposite is true. Our God is greatly outraged at our suffering. So much so, that He entered into it, and endured the worst of it all for you and I to have eternal life with Him in heaven. So, the next time we are afraid, instead of looking at the roaring seas and feeling our knees buckle beneath us, or looking to our past wounds in the boat or our possible future wounds if we drown, let’s close our eyes in radical trust, and look deeply into the tabernacle of our hearts at Jesus who dwells there and say, “Jesus, I trust in you, take care of everything,” and leave it right there with Him. Let us choose then to leave our cares right there with Love, because Love never fails, Love never disappoints, and Love has already won the victory.