Panic or Peace

I grew up with parents who were very present in my life. When you are young, you take for granted that they are present, and it brings a sense of security to your life without you even being aware that you have it. You don’t have to look up at a ballgame to see if they are there because you know that they are. You don’t gaze from the school stage in wonder, because it was a sure thing. I was and am very blessed.

In reality, when they are so very present, the times that your alarms go off are those rare moments when they are not immediately present. Losing yourself in a grocery store for a split second as a child and feeling a sense of panic. Letting the tide take you further down the beach as you play in the ocean and losing your bearings as to where your family was set up. Again, temporary panic.

Those things change over the years, but we remember the moments of panic when we thoughtwe were alone and vulnerable.

I think that is how life feels sometimes. God is our Shepherd if we let Him be. He is always with us and always aware of us and always watching. He makes sure that we have a place in which we never have to panic. A place where we dwell in full security. However, when we wander away from Him or His pastures (His Will), we find that we have lost that inner peace and security.

Panic sets in in so many places in our lives. Anxiety, stress, fear, and panic are all symptoms of the lack of being in His presence.

Could it be that simple? Does remaining in Him and His presence really calm our souls? I believe that the answer is a resounding yes! Every promise Scripture makes is based on His presence.

As a child, my security was a given, so it is when I am walking in the presence of God. I don’t have to think about whether He is with me. He is always there! It is a given and I am free to experience His joy and peace because of it.