Disappearing Fears

Monday mornings. Most of us dread them. Mine started out normally. The alarm went off, I hit snooze twice. I finally drug myself out of bed and into the kitchen to fix Mike something to eat before he left for work. While he ate oatmeal, I drank a cup of hot chocolate and called to make sure that my daughter hadn't slept past her alarm.

Lauren and her friend Elizabeth had traveled to Memphis last night for Winter Jam, a yearly event that host's several Contemporary Christian Music artists. Elizabeth's Youth Minister was friends with the lead singer from the girls' favorite group and had managed to get them time with the guys from "Sidewalk Prophets" away from the thousands of other concert goers. Hand-shakes, high fives and autographs later, they called me so excited I could barely understand what they were saying.

Twenty minutes later they called back. This time they were about to cry: they had taken a wrong turn and were lost in downtown Memphis; scary stuff to say the least. Both for them…and this mother who was 1400 miles away! Her Daddy got on Mapquest and managed to help them find their way back to the interstate.

It turns out they weren't really that lost, just a couple of blocks off course. But the street they were on didn't have an entrance ramp to the highway that led back to Walnut Ridge. It was after 1 a.m. when they finally got back to Williams Baptist College and I was able to sleep.

Lauren was up getting ready for class, but she was exhausted both physically from getting in so late and emotionally from being lost. It was one of those Mommy moments where despite the fact that she's legally an adult, I just wanted to be there to wrap my arms around her and tell her it was going to be ok.

Mike left for work and I sat down on the back patio to wait for the sunrise. But as the darkness started to lift away, I realized that clouds filled the sky. The wind was picking up and I wondered if I'd missed the rain in the forecast. I didn't remember seeing any for the rest of the week.

As the winds increased to what I later learned were 25 mph gusts, it began blowing the desert sand everywhere. I couldn't breathe well in the dust, so I picked up my bible and my camera and headed back inside. I reached my bedroom in time to hear my phone announce that I had a new text message. I actually had two.

One friend had a job interview in just a few short hours. I quickly breathed a prayer of intercession that she would get the job.

The second was from another friend whose toddler son was undergoing surgery at that very minute. "I know he'll be fine, but I'm ready to cry". She wrote. I bowed my head to pray for her.

Just as I started, the wind howled around the corner of the house. It caused me to look up. The dust was blowing so hard that you could hardly see the mountains in the distance that usually loom majestically out of the flat desert floor. But at that very moment, a turtle dove landed on the wall directly outside my window. It began to coo and call despite the wind and blowing sand that should have driven it away.

I felt a peace settle around my heart as I began to earnestly pray for both of my friends. It was as if God had sent that dove to remind me that He had created the mighty mountains in the distance, the tiny bird singing outside my bedroom, our daughter and my precious friends all with the same hands.

The Bible tells us that we should be anxious for nothing. That if we'll bring everything to Him, He will give us a peace that passes all understanding. As I poured my heart into my prayers, releasing all of my worries to my Heavenly Father, I began to feel my spirit grow lighter.

I have no idea how long I prayed. But when I lifted my eyes to the window once more, the wind had died down and the clouds were breaking up. With one last call, the dove flew away; joining another in the air. As I watched it disappear I realized that my fears had disappeared as well.

Psalm 68:19

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.