One summer years ago when we lived in Illinois, our extended family joined us for a trip to Chicago to visit what was then the Sears Tower.
We found parking several floors up in a large garage. The elevator could only fit eight of the twelve of us. As those of us in the first group got off at ground level, the doors closed before my daughter Lauren and her cousin Lori, both about six years old, stepped out. The elevator was already moving back up before we could stop it.
Lauren recalls that the instant the doors closed, Lori turned to her and said, “Now we’ll be lost forever.” Then they began screaming. Kristen, Lauren’s twin, reacted immediately by clinging on to me.
Several levels up, my husband and his sister heard the screams, not sure what was going on. Fortunately the doors opened on their floor. The girls scrambled to them sobbing. Within minutes they were down with us on the ground level, but we were all shaken.
The rest of the day our girls were anxious because at the 108-story Sears Tower there were numerous elevator rides. At every point we reassured them we would not let them get left in an elevator again.
For years our girls did not handle elevators well. They would clutch on to us before entering and exiting an elevator. Some anxiety regarding elevators lingers still.
My heart aches thinking of my niece’s reaction, “Now we’ll be lost forever.” How scary the experience was for those two little girls! While never truly lost, they were alone and helpless.
Maybe we are used to hearing about “the lost” in church circles. Jesus came, “to seek and save the lost,” those helpless without Him (Luke 19:10). Imagining my young daughter and niece feeling lost and afraid in Chicago helps me think about this in a fresh way.
Jesus told several parables in Luke 15 about lost things that illustrate the worth of every individual. There is a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. Jesus died for the lost, for each of us so that we could find a relationship with Him, our Redeemer. When I understood His sacrifice for me and believed, it was like coming home to the safest place I could imagine.
My daughter and niece’s feeling of fear at being lost was a normal response; most of us, if we are honest, fear something. While for you it may be heights, bugs, public speaking or the dark, I fear falling. This is due in part to my mom who had major falls, numerous times, breaking bones or requiring stitches. One fall was down an escalator at a Chicago airport, but somehow she got herself on the bus to our town before seeking medical care for her broken knee. I believe she lived fearlessly, though sometimes in denial.
Fear was real for many in our local community last summer when an escaped prisoner was in our vicinity for two weeks. I remember planning carefully where I would park one night for a prayer group meeting at Willowdale Chapel and watching over my shoulder as I came and went from the building. The fear seemed more alarming because the man was camped out in Longwood Gardens, which always before was a place of beauty and serenity.
Even as I sat tweaking this blog, I experienced my first earthquake. We cannot deny that danger exists. But how do we handle our fears?
God’s Word encourages us to be strong and courageous, to not fear. Actually it is more a command to not be afraid. That is hard to do, but we can combat our fears by searching out God’s promises of protection.
A friend once shared that her child had nightmares. They read Psalm 91 to the child and prayed over their child the verse, “You will not fear the terrors of the night.” Psalm 91 promises that under God’s sheltering wings we will find refuge. It also tells us that He commands His angels to guard us wherever we go. Their method is a great strategy.
Psalm 36:7-8 proclaims more encouragement.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
If we experience overwhelming fear, exploring Christian counseling may be necessary. But probably all of us can benefit by meditating frequently on assurances from God’s Word of the refuge He provides.
At some point we have all been lost in terms of our faith. His desire for us is to find a home in Him and to know peace and safety under His wings.
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
Linnea Tideman has always enjoyed sharing stories. Her childhood in New Hampshire and her Swedish heritage have provided her with a wealth of experiences, but also the foundation of her faith. She enjoys creative projects, travel, books, sewing, gardening, but most of all hospitality, often hosting fancy teas and occasionally something grand like recreating dinner on the Titanic. She serves the UrbanPromise and Good Neighbors ministries. Linnea lives in Landenberg with her husband Dave. They have three grown daughters. She hopes that her writing reflects how God continues to reveal Himself to us as our shepherd and Savior.
WOMEN'S SPRING & SUMMER STUDY
Join Willowdale Women for this in-person summer study that will take place the 2nd Thursday each month (Dates: May 9, June 13, July 11 and August 8) from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at our Kennett Campus. This study will be focused on the book "Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It" by Jennie Allen.