Published: October 04, 2008 03:58 pm            

Life's Like That - October 5, 2008

This article has run before, several years ago but it seems appropriate for the times in which we find ourselves. This past week we saw real fear in the land. Fear of financial peril. The concern was very real and continues to be in spite of the legislative efforts to move the economy forth. Whether or not we agree with the actions taken by the president and the Congress, we would be wise to remember that fear and worry seldom meet expectations.

I like the story about the little girl who was alone in her room when a terrible thunderstorm began. As the lightning flashed across the sky and the thunder rumbled through the air, her mother, who was working downstairs, suddenly remembered the little girl. Thinking her daughter must be terrified, she rushed up the stairs to the girl's room. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see her daughter sitting at the window laughing and applauding with every clap of thunder while happily exclaiming, "Bang it again, God; bang it again"

Fear is an awful thing. Fear paralyzes a person and destroys much of the joy of life. We worry about too many things. Furthermore, we have very little control over most of the things about which we worry. Also, most of the dreaded events never happen, anyway.

My daughter is like that in some things. She has a fear of tornadoes. She has never seen nor heard a tornado, but when there is a warning or a watch announced anywhere within a hundred miles of our home, she worried until it is ended.

The futility of such worry was brought home to us one night several years ago when thunderstorms played around San Marcos and, indeed, a small tornado passed through a part of our community.

I had gone to a grocery store and was out in the heavy rain as tree limbs were torn free and the streets filled with water. When I got home, the first warnings were being issued on television and our daughter was sure that we were to be blown away at any minute.

Now, it had hardly rained at our house. There was little or no wind. The storm had already passed.

Isn't that true of most of the storms of life? The expectation is always worse than the reality, and often we find that the thing we had feared as already passed us by. In the meantime, we have experienced the anxiety and panic that well up in us about the things that might be.

Certainly we need to have concern and we need to take action when we can do something about the situation or the circumstances. However, if we cannot, then worry does no good.

A wise person said, "Lord, give me the courage to change that which I can, the grace to accept that which I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference."

In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul put it another way: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."



Jerry Bullock has written his weekly column for the Daily Record for more than 20 years. He is a retired Air Force colonel and an ordained Baptist minister.

        

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