People don't realize this, but when you are disabled, there is so much more to fear.
Think about it a minute, really think about it. You go to your local department store to pick up a few things and decide you need to use the restroom. Sound easy? Well it starts out that way until you find that you can't get off the toilet. So, you have to sit in the bathroom until someone else comes along and hears your cry for help.
Some people may find this funny and I guess in a way it is, but it isn't all that funny to the person sitting on the toilet. In fact, I happened to be that person a short while ago. It was very embarrassing and I'm still afraid that it will happen again, but this week God gave a truth to hold onto to battle this, or any other fear.
Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"
Jesus was asleep in a boat in the middle of a terrible storm and I've been told the storms on the sea of Galilee could be bad. The disciples surely thought they were going to be washed overboard and killed. Jesus slept on until they woke him.
My question is, how could he sleep with the tempest raging around Him? Why wasn't He afraid like the disciples?
Because He knew what His destiny was. He knew why He was on earth. Jesus also knew that the Father was going to complete what He sent Him to do. Jesus slept through the storm because He knew He had more to do. The disciples didn't have that same assurance, at least not in writing, but we do.
"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."(Phil. 1:6, NIV)
He will complete what He has to do in my life. Start to finish, it's in His hands.
The Bible also tells us that, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear...,"(1 John 4:18).
So the Bible's answer to fear is realizing how much God loves me. He loves me perfectly and His perfect love is what guides my life. I believe God is all powerful and that He is in control (see the truths that sustain: Truth #2). I also believe He is all loving and if His love is perfect then nothing is going to happen to me that isn't for my good.
I used to live a life of fear. What I mean is this, fear controlled me, my thoughts and my daily living. It wasn't a once and a while thing, we all have some of that in our lives, it was a daily, sometimes hourly thing. I feared what "could" happen in my life. I actually "borrowed" other peoples tragedies and wondered how hard that would be for me. Fear was taking over my life.
I finally realized some things that have set me free from daily, chronic, fear. The first is that God loves me perfectly. That means no mistakes on His part. The second is that God gives me grace for the moment I am living in. His grace doesn't come before I need it, and, He doesn't give me grace to deal with other peoples tragedy.
I need to relearn the lessons God gave me in the past about fear. I need to apply those lessons to my life as a disabled person. The verse about Jesus sleeping through the storm has reminded me that God has a plan for me and that He is going to complete that plan in my life. I can trust Him to carry me through whatever happens. His perfect love will see me through.
