We are all dealing with fear. If you spend more than 10min watching the news, getting update notifications on the phone, or scrolling through social media…you might be planting the seeds for anxiety to attack!

Right now I’m treading through it myself. Three days waiting for results is not fun. The kids are beginning to ask when mom is coming out of the bedroom, and I’m not going to let them know we are waiting for a test result. If it comes back positive, then we will walk through the next step…but why would I give them more fear? Right now, mom has a bad cold.

I am good throughout the day because I am cleaning the house, managing twenty team members from home, an 11yr old arguing about his assignments, a 5yr old that is bored and wants to play PS4 all day, a 2yr old that wants to be held, and responding to youth group text messages. My mind is more on making sure they are good and cared for than anything else. But it’s when things get quiet and everyone is asleep (which isn’t long but long enough!) that anxiety will not only knock on the door but will walk around outside looking for a window that is cracked just slightly from the boys shannonagains earlier in the day.

Tonight it struck me. Levi cried out for help and I ran into his bedroom to get him quiet and to also remind him his sister was barely asleep in the room beside them. He told me he hated the corona virus and asked what he could do to make it go away. He then let me know he was scared of teddy bears. It was a big one that was taller than me with red eyes and if he comes in, there is nothing he or his brother could do. “Daddy I’m so scarred!”.

So like any dad would do, I held him close and reminded him that the monster teddy doesn’t exist. More importantly, I told Him how God had a bigger purpose than a teddy bear lie that the devil whispered into his ear tonight. Levi, God wants you to reflect on all the good things today, and remember that He has a plan bigger than you can imagine for tomorrow! I ended it with how we can fill our heart with anxiety or with peace…but we are the ones that is filling it. With that, I kissed him good night, reminded him I loved him, and that God has called him to be a leader. Then I went back to Grace’s room to rock her a third time to sleep! (So far so good!)

I started to recap our conversation with Levi as I rocked Grace, and that’s when God held me close. He reminded me that giant teddy bears with red eyes doesn’t exist for me either (aka…anxiety over what if), but I needed to trust in Him. I was like, ok God I see what you are doing! I was preaching to myself more then to Levi when I was helping him cope with made up fears! God is cool like that!

So please hear my heart. We are all facing more than a ten foot tall angry teddy bear. For a 5yr old, that’s insane scary and probably represents deeper meanings. What is it that you facing today at your door? What is your version of the teddy bear that is creeping into your bedroom tonight?

Know that God has called you by name! If you are in over your head, God is with you. Read the scripture below!

“But now, GOD ’s Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: “Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end— Because I am GOD, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you! I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.”

Isaiah 43:1-4 MSG

It’s time we don’t let the 10ft tall teddy bear of fear enter our minds today. Know that God has you!