Choosing Faith in God over Fear

My faith is in the Lord. I have put my faith in Him who can do all things for our good. My faith will not waiver; it will remain strong.

2020 Was Scary!

The country was in political and social turmoil—the top news stories revolved around violence, hatred, sickness, and death.

I watch peaceful protests quickly turn to violence when those that disagreed disrupted marches. Other disrupters wanting to destroy property and loot businesses took the focus away from the real issues.

Every day the infection and morbidity numbers continued to climb. People panicked and filled their shopping carts with more toilet paper than they would typically use in a year.

The Pandemic Hits Home

Covid-19 has affected record numbers of families. Mine included.

In mid-August, my husband caught it. He is a travel nurse and was infected while working at a hospital. He felt tired, had body aches, and no appetite. He slept quite a bit, and when he was awake, I encouraged him to eat and drink. After losing the ability to taste and smell, it was hard to find food he would eat. He drank a lot of Gatorade and tonic water. Not sure why the tonic water, but he liked it and needed to stay hydrated.

He never ran a fever or had breathing issues. He slept most of the day.

I tested positive near the end of his quarantine. My symptoms were so mild that I didn’t know I had it. Several members of my immediate family also contracted the Coronavirus.

I was scared. My husband was sick. We were hundreds of miles away from our infected family members and could do nothing for them.

Working the Faith Muscle

I usually pray several times during the day to give thanks. Mostly in the morning and again before I fall asleep

In 2020, my prayer life exploded.

When my husband was diagnosed, a wave of fear washed over me. And I began to pray more often.

When I felt fear creeping in, I prayed. When I took my morning walk, I prayed. And I prayed while watching my husband sleep.

My faith in God brought me through this difficult time. I placed my trust in Him who can do all things. Because I choose faith in God over fear, I was able to take care of my husband and myself.

And because I placed my faith and trust in Him, I didn’t let the news place me in a panic mode.

My husband has recovered from the virus, and his lost senses are slowly returning. Our family members are also recovered, with no apparent lasting effects. I thank God and give Him praise for their recovery.

Finding Comfort in His Word

When I was consumed by the fear that the virus caused, I wrote the following declaration and posted it on Facebook, along with the Bible verses that spoke these words. I felt compelled to express my faith and confidence in God publically. I re-read it when I need to remind myself that I have the choice to choose faith in God over fear.

Remember, no matter what is happening in your life or the world around you, your faith will get you through.

You will have hardship. You will have pain. But, how you handle those circumstances is up to you. You can be angry and afraid.

Or you can turn to God for comfort. Place your faith in Jesus and know that He is in control. Let his grace fill you with peace.

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*feature photo credits: Photography by Andreas