Yes, it's the lateral flow test.... and the fear comes in the waiting.... will there be one line, will there be two, or will it be like when you pour fruit shoot on it and it all goes a bit wrong. Thankfully, (please let it always be thankfully), it's been, each time one strong pink line. And when that one line comes, peace reigns.
But the fear is there. There is a lot to be fearful of at the moment, and as people, as a nation, as the world, we're living in a constant state of anxiety. We spend each day holding on and hoping. We react in different ways - we shout at each other, we hide away quietly, we deny it's even happening, we panic for the future.....
We all know the reality of being afraid. The idea of life turning upside down in the blink of an eyelid is something that we all have become familiar with as we have felt the solid ground torn from underneath our feet. The unknowing of tomorrow feeds into today.
But what do we do with this fear? We can't live with it forever.
The story of waiting in the Bible is full of fear (normally when an angel turns up in an unexpected place). The unknown, the shock, the anticipation of the future, it all brings fear. From Zechariah's encounter with an angel in the temple, to Mary's meeting with Gabriel in her house to the shepherds on the hillside.
And what does that angel say?
"Do not be afraid"
How can they not be afraid? How does telling someone not to be scared help them?
Well it's what happens next. Instead of living within the fear, the angel goes on to tell them what will happen next and what they have to do with the information they are given.
That doesn't mean that they didn't go on feeling anxious about the future, but it meant that they found peace amongst the world turning upside down that would help them to deal with the what next.
For Mary, her life would change forever, but once her whys and hows were answered, she could commit to making steps forward because she trusted in what was happening next.
How can we learn from Mary to deal with the fear that we face?
It has a simple beginning..... we can first admit that the fear is there. The angel said 'don't be afraid' and Mary didn't say 'I'm not', she listened to what the angel had to say. The first step in dealing with how we are feeling is admitting that we are feeling this way. We might find there are others who feel the same. One of the greatest comforts during the pandemic has been knowing that others understand. The angel understood Mary's fears and took them seriously, explaining what was going to happen and helping her understand. It wasn't that Mary felt right at that moment it was going to be alright and simple - it was clear she didn't - she ran away to Elizabeth's for reassurance and to be cared for...... but she faced it knowing she was understood, which enabled her to say yes.
And once we have admitted the fear is there we can bring it all to God. Mary trusted in God. Her answer to the angel's declaration that God's word never fails showed that. One of the best pieces of advice I have been given this year when I have been fearful is that that is what prayer is all about (yeah, I should know this, but sometimes in the feelings of fear I forget), that where I can't change things, I can lay them at God's feet....and in laying them at God's feet, whilst they don't go away, I can leave them there and I can find peace as I trust them to him.
And what to do with what comes next? The things that make us fearful won't necessarily have gone away, but facing them with help within the fear makes things easier to bear.
"Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary....." Luke 1:29-30a
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" 1 Peter 5:7
image from Pixabay
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