Just Air

“There is no fear where love exists. Rather, perfect love banishes fear,…”
1 John 4:18(ISV)

Can you believe my baby girl just turned one?! In the midst of quarantine and shutdowns we haven’t had a full blown party yet, but we took some rather adorable pictures in her in a little swan swimsuit in her little swan pool.

In preparation of her birthday photos my husband was blowing up the pool with an air compressor. It was making quite the racket when he turned it on. Braven did not like all the loud noise. I even took her into a different room and closed the door. But every time he turned it on, she clung to my neck with eyes wide open, looking over her shoulder, afraid of a sound that couldn’t hurt her.

As I was trying my best to comfort her and ensure her that she was safe, I saw a very clear picture of how God’s love cuddles us when we run to Him afraid.

Fear is a liar. Fear is not from God. Fear is family to worry, and worry is offspring of sin.
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“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7(NKJV)

Just like Braven was afraid of a loud sound, because she didn’t understand it was just air- so often we are afraid of the loud threats from the enemy because we overestimate his ability to to back them up. What if all the things you have been afraid of are just loud air?

We named her Braven for a reason. I’ve been afraid for as long as I can remember. Well, I was anyway. I decided that was going to stop with her. I wasn’t going to raise my baby to be afraid. Every time I said her name, every time I told her who she was, I’d teach her- that she was brave.

That means I had to learn how to be brave. After all, you can’t teach what you don’t know.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a work in progress. But if motherhood has taught me anything at all, it’s been that I can’t live afraid of everything.

God told me before she was born that brave didn’t mean you felt no fear, it meant that you didn’t allow fear to make decisions for you.

You don’t allow fear to tell you what to think, or say, and you definitely don’t let it tell you what to do. In fact, now a days when I’m afraid, I do the opposite of whatever it is fear is nudging me to. If I don’t want to speak to someone because I’m afraid of rejection, I find all the more reason to muster up some courage and say something. If I don’t want to explore an opportunity because I’m afraid of the unknowns, I find all the more reason to dive into something new knowing God goes before me and makes a way.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

And when I can’t sleep because of all the fears of tomorrow and the future try to steal my rest, I find all the more reason to give it to God and go to bed.

I consciously and purposefully turn the opposite direction of fear. It’s been freeing. The more I make the decision to oppose the liar that is fear, the more I’m realizing it’s all just air.

Just as I comforted and secured Braven even though I knew the air couldn’t hurt her, God does the same for us. Loving and shielding us, consoling us even when He knows our fears can’t touch us. I’m sure if we could see the things we are afraid of from His point of view we would all have a good laugh. But He so lovingly understands that we can’t. That why His grace is sufficient and His mercies are new every morning.

As much as I don’t want Braven to ever feel afraid of anything, I do love when she runs to me for protection. I love the fact that I’m her safe place. God told me in that sweet moment of cuddling my baby as she hid from the air compressor, that He loved when I ran to Him for my safe place too.

God isn’t disappointed when we run to Him with our fears. It’s when we hold on to them and allow them to hold on to us that they become a real problem. But I promise, if you’ll start carrying your cares to the Father, you’ll see that He so deeply cares for you. He will give you fresh perspective so that you can see the hollowness of your anxieties and the emptiness of the threats against you.

So next time fear attempts to trick you, remember my precious baby girl, and the air compressor. Crawl up into our Heavenly Father’s big , capable lap and tell fear to be quiet.

Be Blessed!