No Longer Afraid | Leoma Sparer
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
Recently, in an Adult Education (I still prefer to call it SALT!) meeting we were sharing snippets about Bible verses or other inspirational sources that have inspired or helped sustain us in difficult times. Daron Yates brought up song lyrics as such a source of comfort, which reminded me of a song that definitely stayed with me like a lighthouse beacon or a divine hug for many months back in the 1980s. I was going through bankruptcy, foreclosure of our house and facing a divorce which meant becoming a single parent to two preschool age daughters. I had been unhappy for several years but could never seem to realize why until I finally got over my fear of even thinking of getting a divorce. First, I had to gain enough trust in God to provide what I needed not to just survive, but to allow myself to thrive. It was God who gave me the strength and courage to do so.
At the time, our little Lutheran church in Kansas had a strong music ministry. John Michael Talbot was a favorite source of inspiration. A song of his that we sang a lot in church which captured me then and still means so much to me, especially if I ever fall into forgetfulness of how much God has acted in my life, is “Be Not Afraid”. I remember humming it to myself in the restroom of women’s conferences I attended, singing it at home, or just hearing it echo in my head whenever I felt overwhelmed, sad or alone. The
chorus, of course, is what still lives in my mind. Here are some of the lyrics:
Be Not Afraid | Scott Weiland (Catholic Hymn)
You shall cross the barren desert,
But you shall not die of thirst.
You shall wander far in safety,
Though you do not know the way.
You shall speak your words in foreign lands,
And all will understand,
You shall see the face of God and live.
Be not afraid,
I go before you always,
Come follow Me,
And I will give you rest.
If you pass through raging waters
In the sea, you shall not drown.
If you walk amidst the burning flames,
You shall not be harmed.
If you stand before the power of hell
And death is at your side,
Know that I am with you, through it all
Be not afraid,
I go before you always,
Come follow Me,
And I will give you rest.
Blessed are your poor,
For the Kingdom shall be theirs.
Blest are you that weep and mourn,
For one day you shall laugh.
And if wicked men insult and hate you, all because of Me,
Blessed, blessed are you!
Be not afraid,
I go before you always,
Come follow Me,
And I will give you rest.
Songwriters: Public Domain, Weiland Scott Richard, Grean Douglas Allan
For non-commercial use only.
Still brings me to tears! Tears of gratitude for what all those challenges taught me. Their greatest gift was that I had no choice but to trust in God to provide, that He was leading me out of the valley of shadows and that I would arrive on the other side not only in better shape, but blessed beyond my comprehension. I am no longer afraid or even hesitant to follow the leadings of Jesus Christ because of what He has done for me and my family. When I couldn’t possibly see where I was going, all I had to do was be willing to take the first step and then the next and the next, trusting fully that I was being led SOMEWHERE that God had planned for me. I’m still following the “breadcrumbs”…. No longer afraid.
