No Room For Panic

No Room for Panic

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:8

Tara’s neighbor would pick up his mail, offer a few sentences of conversation, flash his smile, park his vehicle, and disappear into his apartment. One Sunday afternoon, when he was boulder climbing again, Tara returned from church and munched a sandwich as she looked out the window toward his place. Soon she found that she was in an argument with herself.

Why are you longing for a guy who doesn’t have one thing in common with you?

“I don’t know that. We haven’t really talked except by the mailbox.”

That’s right. And if you have to plot it, it’s not a good situation. He offers a few insincere compliments, and you’re ready to follow him anywhere.

“Well, anything is better than nothing.”

Oh, really? Remember hiking last spring and watching vehicles climb boulders? You were horrified.

“I could learn to like it.”

Oh, yeah. For the first ten seconds. And you love music. What if he grumped about that?

“Well, marriage is filled with compromise.”

Marriage? You’re thinking marriage already? Are you willing to accept less than you want just for the sake of being married?

Tara sighed. “Maybe I should invite him to dinner. What’s that old saying about God helping those who help themselves?”

No! Don’t try to manipulate a relationship, her spirit persisted. You want to share life with someone special, not just settle for anyone who comes along.

“But what if I don’t ever get married?”

If that’s what God has for you, don’t you think he will give you the grace to accept and even embrace it?

Tara frowned. This self-argument had taken a turn she didn’t like.

—SANDRA

Lord, I do want the good you want for me, but I’m afraid to let go of long-held dreams. Help me to remember that you are loving and kind and that you protect me even when I demand my own way.

My child, it will be better for you if you accept my decisions without complaint. Do not ask me to defend my actions or to explain why one person is favored and another seems slighted. The answers to those questions go far beyond your comprehension.

—THOMAS À KEMPIS (CA. 1380–1471), DUTCH CLERGYMAN AND WRITER