An eerie thing happened today. I received a gift from Amazon with no identification of the sender. I was more than a little confused and concerned when I got it. The workbook was called Death and the Hereafter: A Bible Study on How to Face Death with Confidence and Not Fear. While I appreciate the subject matter, receiving it unexpectedly in the mail made me pause. The first question that came to mind was Who? The second was Why? And the third was When?
Perhaps this caught me off guard because of a recent cancer scare, which proved to be fine. No cancer. No issues. Just a cyst that didn’t require any medical follow up. However, after waiting for a month to get a second mammogram and ultrasound done, I was mentally weary. My sister passed away from cancer in 2010. She was diagnosed at my same age so you can probably imagine some of the thoughts I was having. I thought about the phone call from her on the day she received the diagnosis. I can still hear her softly crying as she said the word cancer and the fear that flooded my heart and mind. I remember sharing the news with another sister who just happened to be with me. Mostly, I remember it felt surreal and remained that way for the next three years as Diana battled cancer.
Most often, I would have had my God Squad (four friends and my sister) bombarding heaven with prayer, but in this situation I sensed it was between God and me. I prayed as he brought it to mind. I thought about my sister Diana. I talked with the Lord more about her than I prayed for myself. Following the example of David in Scripture, I found strength in the Lord and chose to believe that God’s grace would be enough whatever the outcome. I wasn’t being super spiritual. In fact, waiting alone in an examining room for the results, I realized that fear was my second closest companion. God was first, but fear was right there with him.
I have no idea what you may be facing today. Life may be great, even in a pandemic. Circumstances may be challenging and that has nothing to do with Covid. You may be sitting in an examining room reading this blog post waiting to get test results. Whatever situation you find yourself in, here’s the good news. Because of Jesus and what he has done for you, you don’t have to face anything alone. He is our closest companion, the friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). Fear may be right there with him, but he is even closer than the fear. And if that isn’t enough encouragement, think about what he promises in Deuteronomy 33:27, The eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And by the way, if you sent me the Death and the Hereafter Bible study, thanks. Feel free to sign your name next time.
– Pamela Hall
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