4 am, and there it was again.

Beep.

I was half asleep, but awake enough to recall that Chris had replaced ALL of the batteries in the smoke detectors yesterday afternoon, in order to put an end to these early morning wake up calls.  So what was this?

Beep.

I realized the sound was coming from my nightstand.  It was my cell phone, alerting me to it’s low-battery status.  I groped in the dark for the charger and inserted the plug into the phone, which silenced the beeping.

If it’s not one thing, it’s another!

Isn’t that just like worry?  You no sooner escort one fear out, shutting the door behind it with a sigh of relief, and the doorbell rings, announcing the arrival of yet another uninvited house guest.  Fears are persistent little buggers.  Like little kids they will press the bell over and over again until somebody responds.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

I’ve been realizing that while fears may not take kindly to “No” for an answer, I do have a choice as to whether or not I will embrace and entertain them.  While they may rap relentlessly on the door of my mind, disturbing my sleep, they can be confronted and quieted.  Just like replacing a battery or charging a cell phone, there are things I can do to silence their beeping.  I can do more than just lie there helplessly and be subjected to the noise.

The Bible instructs us more than 350 times to ‘fear not’.  Worry and anxiety are mentioned more than 25 times in the New Testament alone as something to be avoided.*  This is more than just a good idea.  It is a command.  But whenever God issues a command, a promise is inherent in it.  If He says, “Don’t worry,” then we can safely assume that it is indeed possible not to worry, and that He will help us live this out.

Believing freedom from fear is attainable is the first step towards conquering it.

Here’s to a “silent night” tonight!

* From Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver

(The saga continues in “(Not So) Silent Night”…)