Last night I wrote out some thoughts regarding hopes and fears. Thought I would be the first to share them on this awesome blog! Thanks so much Jenn for putting this together. Love you girls!
I think for our generation, fear is a term that is both common and yet foreign. Eight years ago, on September 11th, our country was “rocked”. Faith was shaken, certainty thrown out the window and as a result, we, a nation that once prided its young self on being indestructible, awoke to a new reality of fear. The truth is, fear penetrates our daily lives in ways indescribable and too often leaves us changed. For me, fear dominated the majority of my childhood in ways that have left me scared and broken. The damage that was done due to the absence of certainty completely changed me. Yet, I would be lying to say the presence of fear has not made me stronger. My story is no different than many people at TNL. “I was once lost, but now I am found, was blind but now I see.” I am just a girl...a girl who strives to be known but is scared to death to let anyone see inside my heart. I am passionately seeking a life of comfort and stability, yet lost in a world that seeks to take that away. I am not into games and my deepest fear is trust. I believe we live to chase love and when we find it, we run.
We are no different than those Israelites who came back from exploring the Promise Land (Numbers 13). The fear they experienced overshadowed the beauty of God’s promise to them. Too often, that becomes our story. We loose sight of God’s promises to take care of us and provide for us. The hope we once experienced becomes obsolete and seems diminutive compared to the fear staring us in the face. Often, it is during these times we lack the maturity to take that step of faith and trust in His promises. “The Lord has promised good to me/His word my hope secures/ He will my shield and portion be/As long as life endures.”
I would love to hear some of your thoughts on your own hopes and fears...
Jyndia
