Fearless – this is a word that God gave me for 2015 and looking back in the rearview mirror I have seen Him working out the fears in my life over the past two months.
At the end of month one, our squad had an intimate night of worship that concluded with us writing down what we wanted to leave behind and letting them burn in the fire – we let go a lot of fears and insecurities that evening. Feeling lighter and less burdened, I headed into month two where we had a church service almost every evening and it turns out that a common message throughout the month was letting go of fear so that we can bravely step into what God has for us. Armed with biblical truths I was ready for anything that month three had to offer. Do you know what happens when you ask God to do anything? He does exactly that…
So those of you who have ever been in a car with me are probably aware that driving, road construction, traffic, vehicles in reverse, sketchy roads or any combination of the above gives me a bit of fear and anxiety so imagine my excitement when I found out that our team was chosen to be the one that travels 18 hours in a Bolivian bus along the infamous death road in Bolivia (See the image below orif you really want to get your blood pumping, do a Google search).
Leaving La Paz, I wasn’t sure what to expect but my bus buddy and I started chatting right away. We shared our testimonies and discussed what we’ve been learning on the race thus far and before I knew it the scenery was so beautiful that I wasn’t at all worried about the road. I even managed to lean out the window and take a few photos. Turns out I was actually enjoying the adventure by the time we got to the most dangerous stretches of the road – you know the ones where the road is almost completely washed out or the moment your teammates see the bus tires start to go off the road or the time you come around a tight corner and face another vehicle head on! Looking back on the journey, I am quite surprised that these adrenaline infused moments are not what stands out to me the most; instead, God used the calm in-between moments and the quietness of the tunnels to speak to me.
The tunnels along death road are few and far between but when you get to them they are very dark and narrow. Some last longer than others and you never know where you are going to come out at the end. I feel like these tunnels represent some of the fears in my life such as fear of the unknown, fear of missing out, and fear of what lies ahead. When I am experiencing these fears, it’s a dark place just like the tunnel. It is easy to be distracted and get caught up in the darkness but if I just stay on track and follow the road towards Jesus I will eventually be in the light once again. The best part is that once the fears are behind me and I am in the light, I can see clearly again. On death road, the end of the tunnel usually provides a magnificent new view of God’s creation. It takes my breath away every time. The thing that I need to remember is that God’s beauty and God’s promises were there the whole time; in fact, they were surrounding me in those dark moments but the tunnel and my fears actually blocked my ability to see the truth.
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” – Isaiah 41:13
Praise the Lord that I survived death road but please pray that God gives me the same peace and travel mercies on the return trip at the end of the month!
