Panic! Patience. Peace

This morning I came across scripture I’ve read a billion times before, in fact, I committed to memory as a child: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
But it is the perfect verse to describe this week. Well, this month. Even the past few months. I found myself explaining to a friend, “I honestly feel I couldn’t possibly BE anxious, even if I tried. It’s as if my mind can’t even possibly GO THERE. To that place of worry”.
“So let me get this straight,” she said, “You haven’t sold your home, you haven’t bought a new home, you’re not sure where you are going to live, you haven’t made Christmas plans because you don’t know where you’ll be, you’re not positive where your kids will go to school next month…and you’re ‘at peace’ with all of this?”
And as crazy as it sounds, because believe me, I am the Queen of Anxiety, it’s the truth.
We’ve had a great week. And yet as I was writing an e-mail recapping the past few days, I actually used phrases like, “Fortunately, Tuesday’s CT scans ruled out appendicitis…” and “The repairman was able to fix the heat in our temporary place, we won’t need to sleep in coats tonight!” And honestly, it never even occurred to me to be anything but truly grateful that God was watching over us. So very un-Leigh like. Usually I would have put my own plan in action, considered some serious complaining, contemplated a pity party. Yet, strangely enough, I haven’t been able to relate stories of our topsy-turvy week without laughter.
As I’m working through a Bible Study on the book of Isaiah, I’m reminded to keep my eyes focused on God, and his ultimate, perfect plan. My Bible Study leader really gave me something to think about when she said, “When we take our eyes off God and focus on circumstances….fear results. We can either choose to look at God through our circumstances or choose to look at circumstances through God.” Now THAT is powerful stuff. Do I live by faith or by fear?
A few nights ago, I began to feel overwhelmed with this process of transitioning from one state to another over the holidays. The instant, I mean…the very instant…that fear began to creep into my heart, I heard the angelic voice of The Bug, wafting down the hall, singing a hymn I didn’t even realize she knew: “What have I to fear? Leaning on the everlasting arms!” I immediately shifted my focus back to God, who has always been faithful to provide, and my peace was restored.
“Mama,” said the Bug as I was tucking her in bed beneath a mountain of blankets. “For whatever reason I just can’t get that song out of my head tonight! Sing with me…”
And I did.

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.” (Isaiah 26:3-4)