Friday, July 10, 2015

What If . . . ?


Matthew 14:27-31
But Jesus immediately said to them, "Take courage!  It is I.  Don't be afraid."
"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
"Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.  "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

Takes real courage to step over the side of the boat, doesn't it?  Common sense tells you that you are going down.  Unless, of course, your eyes are on Jesus. ~Mike Fisk at Built with Grace 

Doubts.  Fears.  Worries.  We all entertain them from time to time, even though they are unwanted guests in our minds.  I call them "what-ifs."

What if I don't get the job?  What if she doesn't accept my apology?  What if my child gets a poor grade?  What if I'm late for my appointment?  What if my boss in in a bad mood today?

Doubts.  Fears.  Worries.  Suppositions that creep into our thoughts and steal our joy.  Anxieties that take our eyes off Jesus, leaving us to lead a life of fear instead of faith.

Davy, the main protagonist in The Glade Series and Adventures in The Glade, suffers with bouts of the "what-ifs" as he wrestles with the many problems plaguing the future of his beloved friends, the Old Ones.  His mother, Kate, and stepfather, Jim, do their best in several different scenarios in the third novel in Adventures in The Glade, Revelation, to persuade Davy that such thinking is neither productive nor helpful.  The following scene takes place the night before the Old Ones' plan to save The Glade will be revealed to an unsuspecting world.

Davy emerged from the bathroom clean and ready for bed.  Grandma and Grandpa had already departed for the Fairchild's, and only Mom and Jim were sitting at the kitchen table.  "Where's Anna?"  Davy asked.

"In her bed," Mom replied.  "Poor child fell asleep before we could even finish our prayers."

"I hope I fall asleep that quickly tonight," Davy said wistfully as he sat down across from Mom and Jim.

Jim's brow furrowed.  "Are you still worried about tomorrow, son?"

"Yes, sir," Davy admitted.  "We stayed so busy today, I really didn't think about the awful dream I had last night, but now that it's close to bedtime, I'm afraid I'll dream it all over again."

Mom reached across the table to lay her hand on his.  "Davy," she said gently, "how many times in your life have you had the same dream twice?"

Davy thought for a moment before he answered.  "I don't think I've ever had the same dream twice," he confessed, "but that doesn't mean it won't happen."

"Honey, we've talked about those 'what-ifs' before, haven't we?"  Mom asked.  "Take it from a recovering worrywart:  They will only stress you out over something which will more than likely never happen.  What good is that?"

"I know you're right, Mom," Davy said with a sigh, "but can I ask you both a favor?"

"Sure.  Anything for you, son," Jim said.

"When we finish the prayers, could you stay out on the porch with me until you're sure I'm asleep?"

"We'd be happy to, honey," Mom reassured him.  "Speaking of bedtime and prayers, I think it's past time you headed in that very direction."

~

When the "what-ifs" sneak into your mind, do you sink under their weight, or do you turn your eyes to Jesus and allow Him to keep you afloat?

Prayer:  Father, give us the courage to step over the side of the boat and walk with You.  Take away the "what-ifs" from our minds and hearts, and help us to focus upon Jesus who is mighty to save.  It is in His name, we pray.  Amen.

Meditations of My Heart will be on hiatus for two weeks as I will concentrating of the final edit of Revelation which needs to be at the publisher no later than July 31.  In the meantime, may God keep and bless each and every one of you!

20 comments:

  1. Wonderful insights on a topic near and dear to all of our hearts....worry! I constantly need a reminder, like Peter, to keep my eyes on Jesus. Thanks for the eloquence of your words.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for your kind words, too, PS. Yes, I think we all need these reminders to stay away from the "what ifs."
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  2. Lovely reminder.

    Wishing you all the best! Looking forward to reading you <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Privy! It looks like Redemption will be out at the end of this month or at the beginning of August. The next novel, Revelation, is already slated for November. Here's hoping!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  3. Well said Martha. I have been lately plagued by what-if scenarios. This gives me so much solace and confidence.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad this post met you where you are, Janaki. That's a comfort to me, my friend!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  4. Martha, Another amazing post! I at a point, where I simply need to draw near to the Lord and focus on Him and not on what is happening (or not happening). It's so easy to get off track mentally on all the "what ifs" of life. It not always easy to keep focused on Jesus. Some "sinking" in the "what ifs" do happen for me from time to time.

    Love and blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We all sink from time to time, Kim. I found myself doing just that today, but remembered my own advice quickly and started praying. It really worked!!!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  5. Good lesson, Martha. I love Peter's vulnerability and honest failures in life. His passion too. Keeping our eyes on Jesus and not our problems always helps.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Peter is one of my favorites, too, Jean. Seeing as his denial of Jesus three times appears in all four gospels, he sure wasn't afraid to admit his shortcomings.
      May we all keep our focus on the Lord!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  6. Hi Martha! I really enjoyed the passage from the book. I can really relate to worry, I do that exceedingly well. Only now am I trying to allow the grace of God to heal me, and not give into the sinking feelings and thoughts. It's a big job, and I can't do it myself. Thank the Lord that He is with me!

    Such a tender moment you described here. I can just see Davy and Mom on the porch...
    Blessings,
    Ceil

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed this passage from the third book in Adventures in The Glade, Ceil! Stopping worrying is definitely not something we can do on our own; we must turn to God for help when those "what-ifs" come barreling along. It is a struggle, but we're all works in progress!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  7. Looking forward to the book Martha. As for the "what ifs": what a devastating way to live a life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, yes, Bill, devastating for sure! Hoping Redemption will be out by early August. The next novel, Revelation, is slated for November. Here's hoping!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  8. Ahhh..those inner voices of self doubt regularly chatting away in our heads - and whatever you concoct never comes true. And sometimes when a thought or fear gets the worst of me, I take it to the most horrific end. What if the very worst thing happpened? That brings me back to reality pretty quick - the very worst things isn't that bad and isn't very likely to happen. Loved Revenge which I read yesterday Martha - a great way to spend a Saturday :) Best wishes writing this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad you enjoyed the book, Vishnu!!! It may be a while before I can get to yours, my friend, as I'm swamped with editing my own at the moment. I'll be sure to let you know when I do!
      And yes, if we let those voices have their way with us, what a mess we quickly find ourselves in. It just is not worth it. I say, let go and let God!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  9. True confession? I sink under the weight of my "What-Ifs" - the fears of the future overwhelm me at times, especially lately. I think the enemy knows how tired I am, and he is sending mighty weapons against my weary spirit.

    But, God is there. And I continue to ask Him to fight the battle against the onslaught. Meanwhile, I ask myself, "What if I just trusted Him?"

    GOD BLESS!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What if we all just trusted Him, Sharon? Oh, those "What-ifs" can bury us in turmoil and trial. But the Lord has promised to relieve us of these as His yoke and burden is light.
      The news of the day also challenges me, but I run to Him to assure me that He knows the day and the hour. Our weary spirits will once again soar! We will see it, my friend, yes, we will!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  10. Your post made me think of the song, Step Into The Water. I have been reading the book Caleb Suko wrote on worrying, very insightful. Things I cannot fix are the thing I worry about...thanks God He delights when I finally give them to Him. Good post sister.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Betty, we do tend to worry about those things we truly can't fix, and that is certainly a waste of our time and energy. Glad the post spoke to you!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete

. . . Good Tidings of Great Joy . . .

  . . . Good tidings of great joy . . . ~Luke 2:10 Pictured above are my daughter, Sarah, son-in-law, John, and their three girls, Virginia,...