"He delivered me from all my fears"

"I will bless the LORD at all times;
   his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
   let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
   and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
   and delivered me from all my fears.


Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
   Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"
    selected verses from Psalm 34

One thing that life living, a lived long life provides is lessons.....sometimes the same ones over and over again.

The big one is that hardly any circumstance ever ends up being as terrible as our fears think it will be.

 "I sought the LORD, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears."

Delivered from fears,
                   from the terror of the unknown,
                     from fears of what man could do to him,
                       from fears of what storms of life could do,
                                               what sickness might do,
                                                 what enemies,
                                      or even what friends and family could do.

Delivered from fear...

My biggest fear...it made a big impression...was at 29 there was an accident and my husband, the love of my life, my security, my provider, my all—lay in a hospital hours from our home in a coma.  There was nothing I could do.  I couldn't fix him.

I was broken too...bones...skin...eyes...

But there was life too—a new baby coming in four months, a 3 year-old and a 5 year-old begging for routine, life like it had been.  Inside, I was screaming for the old routine but I was filled with fear, unspoken fear that nothing would ever be the same.  And it wasn't.

But in the midst of all the fear there was God, always there, a refuge that I ran too.  On my first night home from the hospital, I called out, I too sought the Lord and said, "God, I can't do this.  I can't see well, I can't move easily, I can't do anything. I'm afraid, I hurt, I can't fix this. I need You to do it all for me......I just need You!!  Please......."

"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
   Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"

And He did.  He came, He held, He provided, He brought others to help, to love, to hold.  He moved mountains at times.  The fear was gone unless I decided to take it back for brief moments and I learned over and over that fear is never an answer.

If you haven't you might like to read more about what happened then.

God is good—all the time—and I am blessed over and over and over even when it is hard. Ann Vaskomp's book One Thousand Gifts has taught me once again that the secret is giving thanks in all things—just like David said:

"I will bless the LORD at all times;
   his praise shall continually be in my mouth."

 Continuing to praise and thank my God and linking with Ann at A Holy Experience.

Thank you Lord for......

#321.  family who gives over and over to help take care of Larry

#322.  days away to relax

#323.  The beautiful creation seen out the plane windows over Utah

#324.  Lakes seen so huge they go on forever and ever—Salt Lake

#325.  Snow, surprise snow so beautiful and clean

#326.  lessons taught through study on friends and neighbors [click here to read]
 
#327.  green poking up in yard...spring's promise

#328.  cards to encourage others with verses shared encourage me

#329.  lessons from universe to take breath away. In The Heavens

#330.  the interent—blog enabling the sharing of a lecture not given because of snow storm

 #331. Jesus Calling to help me listen better. Help me, Lord to listen more and more.......

#332.  Your presence, always there, always

#333.   Friends, BFF, who are still there, praying, loving, caring

#334.  Warm blankets, warm tea, warm house, warm lap cat—always help to remember and help those who don't have that Click for Compassion

#335.  A cold....to slow me down....give me time to study and prepare more from your Word

#336.  Nutrition, nutrition that works, to get me well faster

#337.  Larry, well and happy

#338.  Prayers answered, again.....Lord, help me to pray more deliberately for others and watch your marvelous answers

#339.  Pictures to amaze and help me remember goodness

#340.  Encouragement and thanks from friends about writing this blog

"I will bless the LORD at all times;
   his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
   let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
   and let us exalt his name together!"