Wednesday Encouragement

Several days ago, I blogged about anxiety. A friend of mine who faithfully reads my blog sent me an email in response so I asked her if I could post some of what she said and she agreed.

"Trust is a learned thing, and the process of learning involves being willing to just step off a cliff everytime God calls, believe He will NEVER fail you, for He ALWAYS keeps His promises or He would not be God. If He sometimes allows the worst to happen, it is for our learning on some level, as a consequence of sin, as a wake-up call, sometimes to teach us patience, and sometimes for many other reasons that only He knows. He is the greatest parent we could ever have. However, in our arrogance we don't always recognize this.

I think the most difficult thing for all of us to realize is that life truly isn't about us, because we all go about thinking we are really something, but in truth, we are absolutely NOTHING without God. How arrogant we are, for we could not take our next breath were it not for God allowing us to do so. God is the author of this drama called life. He wrote the beginning and He wrote the ending, and the REAL play does not truly begin until our physical death. In the meantime, we are all in this temporary play (school) trying to pass all the tests so we can graduate. I am learning that THE MOST important thing in our life is our relationship with God and we don't even come close to realizing the true awesomeness of this. We tend to treat God far, far, too casually, sort of like Joe Smith down the street.

I have spent 71 years in school and guess what? I am realizing more and more than I am still in kindergarten. ...There is always hope and God is incredibly patient. The truth is...we are all sick and seeking the Physician. We are ill and seeking a cure. The {Orthodox Church}... is the inn and hospital in which every sick and distressed person can be cured, and God knew the depth of my illness and where I needed to be, and I was finally willing to check myself in...The way truly is narrow and difficult and a real struggle sometimes to overcome ourselves, but it is the only way. The choice is in our attitude as we confront whatever God allows to appear in our lives, for the plan is His."

I think her response is worthy of posting. I also want to note here that there is a manifestation of a "clinical" level of anxiety which many folks struggle with on a daily basis, and I am certainly not opposed in any way to the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder-I myself have in the past have taken medication for that purpose. I hope her words, however, are an encouragement to you as we think about God's willingness to reach us in our distress and illnesses, and in His inifinite patience, to bring us abundant life now, and in the future. Blessings to you readers, whatever "befalls" you today.

"Be Thou, my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou, my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, and Thou with me Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son,
Thou in my dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my Battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won!
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all."

Be Thou My Vision. Translated from Old Irish to English by Mary Bryne in 1905. Versified by Eleanor Hull in 1912.