EVERYDAY ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
Pastor Sylvia's Enconters with God in the Midst of Everyday Life
ABOUT THE COLUMN Sylvia would love to hear your thoughts about this week's encounter. Please send them to sylvia@pastorsylvia.com |
Encouraged
By Pooh The evening local, national, and world news scare
me. As a writer, I am amazed that they can squeeze that much fear and
anger and tragedy into such a finite amount of words. Add to that, my
work with addicts, those who are grieving, and my own personal
struggles. Most of the time, I feel like Winnie the Pooh in this
conversation with his loyal friend Piglet. “Piglet?” said Pooh. “Yes?” said Piglet. “I’m scared,” said Pooh. For a moment there was
silence. “Would you like to talk about it?” asked Piglet,
when Pooh didn’t appear to be saying anything further. “I’m just so scared,” blurted out Pooh. “So
anxious. Because I don’t feel like things are getting any better. If
anything, I feel like they might be getting worse. People are angry,
because they are so scared, and they’re turning on one another, and
there seems to be no clear plan out of here, and I worry about my
friends and the people I love, and I wish SO much that I could give them
all a hug, and oh, Piglet! I am so scared, and I cannot tell you how
much I wish it wasn’t so.”
“I’m here,” he said, simply. “I hear you, Pooh. And
I’m here.” For a moment Pooh was perplexed. “But…aren’t you
going to tell me not to be so silly? That I should stop getting myself
into a state and pull myself together? That it’s hard for everyone right
now?” “No,” said Piglet, quite decisively. “No, I am very
much not going to do any of those things.” “But—“said Pooh. “I can’t change the world right now,” continued
Piglet. “And I am not going to patronize you with platitudes about how
everything will be okay because I don’t know that. What I can do,
though, Pooh, is I can make sure that you know that I am here. And that
I will always be here, to listen; and to support you; and for you to
know that you are heard. “I can’t make those Anxious Feelings go away, not
really. But I can promise you that, all the time I have breath left in
my body…you won’t ever need to feel those Anxious Feelings alone.” It was an add occurrence because, even as Piglet
uttered these words, Pooh sensed some of those Anxious Feelings
beginning to relax their hold on him. He could perceive a couple of them
beginning to glide away into the forest, subdued by his steadfast friend
sitting beside him. Pooh thought he had never been more grateful to
have Piglet in his life. Scripture tells me that this is what the world will
look like at the end of the age. Jesus was quite forthcoming in his
description. He said we shouldn’t be surprised; he didn’t say we
shouldn’t be anxious. There are many days when it is scary to stand in
the darkness holding my small candle, struggling to keep it lit, and
wondering just how much love it will take to push back the ugliness of
hate and fear in the world. You know what I value more and more every day? All
the Piglets who enter my life just when I need them the most. They sit
with me. They listen. They assure me that they will always be here.
Bolstered by their friendships, the Anxious Feelings relax their hold. You know who you are, Piglets. In case, I forget to say it out loud, “Thank you.” |
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Sylvia and Husband John have published a new book,
BOOKS BY SYLVIA
LAURA AND ME; A Sex Offender and Victim Search Together to Understand, Forgive, and Heal
THE RED DOOR; Where Hurt and Holiness Collide
Availible at Amazon and Barns and Noble