For the past three days, I’ve had the privilege of housing and visiting with my friend Karen and her daughter Mackenzie. These two northern gals traveled from Michigan to Tennessee not just to visit. That was an added bonus for me! They came to look at colleges for Mackenzie. (And I might add…they brought freezing rain and snow with them!)
“How brave,” I thought. Allowing her daughter to go to school hundreds of miles away from home is scary for some. It was for me. When my son considered schools in North Carolina and New York, my heart skipped a beat and fear quickly crept into every fiber of my body. I was afraid for one reason. I failed to prepare.
To conquer fear in our lives, one thing we must do is dare to prepare. This is exactly what Karen and Mackenzie were doing. In traveling to Tennessee, they were examining the colleges close up and preparing for each and every detail that would provide Mackenzie with a safe journey through her college days.
It reminded me of Charles Lindbergh who decided to fly across the Atlantic—alone and with a single engine plane!
Help me Jesus!
Lindbergh didn’t just hop on a plane and take off. No. He dared to prepare by first calculating the risks involved. It wasn’t as if he’d never flown before or had to trust the mechanics who built the plane. If so, he would have good reason to be anxious. Instead, he built the plane himself and was an experienced pilot.
Sure, if he had planned the trip on a whim, without planning, we could label him foolish. We could expect to be concerned, but that was not the case. Years of preparation provided Lindbergh with the tools he needed for a safe journey—and with confidence to carry him through!
You and I can thumb through the bible today and find many like Lindbergh who God prepared long before they arrived at a task to be preformed. The truth is He does the same for me and you. Every experience we have somehow prepares and equips us for the future. When you and I are prepared, it minimizes our anxieties and allows us to adventure into a world of possibilities.
Corrie Ten Boom once said, “Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives is the prefect preparation for the future that only he can see.”
What are you anxious about today? Is there good reason for your concerns or have you been prepared to face what’s ahead? If so, give your fears to God and allow your trust in His provision to see you through.
Casey S. says
Thank you for the great reminder. Occasionally, I find myself anxious as I wait for our business to sell. I need to remember that HE does have a plan and He is preparing me for whatever is to come. I thank you for the encouraging words today.
Have a wonderful day!
Rachel Olsen says
ooh, I’m not anxious so much as jealous that I’m not there to hang with you and Karen and Kenzie!
Two years ago my word for the year that I felt like God gave me was “prepare” so I was drawn to this post. Keep writing, my friend – good stuff.
Digging for Pearls says
Thanks for the reminder Micca. It’s a big step for me this Fall when my son goes to college in Florida – far away from PA. But we know it is where God has called him to go, so we are in the process of preparing!
Blessings,
Pearls
Amy Carroll says
Have a great time in my hometown this weekend–Greenville! Those down east girls will know how to make you right at home.
Wendy Blight says
I often find myself sad, thinking about the day we will send Lauren (yes, my sophomore in high school) off to college. I love knowing she is safely tucked in bed at night, that we are here to mend her hurts and celebrate her victories. I dread the day we leave her behind on a college campus to drive back home. I play in my mind what that emptiness will feel like.
Your words convicted me that what I am feeling is anxiety even though I did not think of it like that. I see now that I need to pray and give this to the Lord…to ask God to prepare me for this wonderful day in her life, trusting Him fully!!
Love you,
Wendy