”Being Afraid” Advent Devotion for December 23, 2021

Being Afraid

 

Written by Catie Hinthorn, Confirmation Student

Read by Tian Brooks

Surely God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid.

The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense,

he has become my salvation.

--Isaiah 12:2

 

I am always afraid. Even when I know nothing can go wrong. See, anxiety isn’t a fun thing to live with. You're always on edge, unsure, and careful with everything. You just have to find a way to cope. I cope by running. The feeling of my feet on the ground, the wind rushing by the way how everything blurs past you, even the pain in my legs, it helps me focus. I think best when I am running and contemplating questions without freaking out about them.

 

Isaiah 12:2 reads, “Surely God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense, he has become my salvation,” but for me trust doesn’t come easy and as I have already said, I am always afraid. It is not that I don’t trust others. I don’t trust myself and I am always terrified of how bad I could screw things up. Most of my friends are people who will always forgive me, even when I mess up.

 

So, I have to learn to trust God, along with everyone else. I know He is going to forgive me, so I must learn that I can’t mess up my relationship with him. That is what I hope we all learn to do better this advent season, trusting God. He is our strength and defense and can help us re-enter the world after COVID. So next time we pray, consider saying this…

 

God, help me to trust you, so that I may come to understand that my strength comes from you, and you will never leave me out on my own.  Amen.