I never thought I'd find myself staring death in the face on I-69, but there I was - my car spinning out of control in a winter storm, a semi truck barreling toward us at 50 mph. In that moment of pure terror, something incredible happened. A voice inside me, one that wasn't my own, calmly said: "Don't worry, it's going to be okay."
That experience taught me something profound about fear and God's perfect love. You see, I'm not naturally brave. I'm terrified of roller coasters (I use my heart condition as an excuse), and like many of you, I often lie awake at night with anxious thoughts racing through my mind. Fear is universal - it's part of being human. But it doesn't have to control us.
That day on I-69, everything happened in slow motion. After getting hit by a truck, our car spun until we were perpendicular to oncoming traffic. The engine stalled. We were sitting ducks as vehicles swerved around us on the icy highway. Time seemed to stretch into eternity as I desperately tried to restart the car, watching those headlights bearing down on us.
By all accounts, we should have been killed or seriously injured. But somehow, miraculously, we walked away relatively unscathed. Later, we learned that one of my coworker's families had been praying for our safety at exactly the moment of the accident. Coincidence? I don't think so.
This experience made me reflect deeply on fear in my own life. I've struggled with depression and anxiety. There was a time in 2019 when I hit rock bottom - even wrote a goodbye letter. I went through the motions of life: wake up, work, sleep, repeat. Every dark thought consumed me until I felt completely alone.
But here's what I learned: we're never truly alone. God is always there, waiting for us to surrender control and listen. The problem wasn't that God wasn't speaking - it was that I had stopped listening. When I finally broke down at the altar and said, "God, I have nothing else to give you," it was as if He replied, "Finally, you are listening. I've been here the whole time."
The Bible tells us "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18). When we understand that God is love - patient, kind, enduring - we realize that in any battle between fear and love, love wins. Every. Single. Time.
Just like that day in my car, when everything was spinning out of control, sometimes we need to keep doing what we can while trusting God with everything else. We can't control every circumstance, but we can control our response and where we place our trust.
For anyone struggling with fear today: You don't have to face it alone. Whether it's anxiety, depression, or uncertainty about the future, there's a community of believers ready to walk alongside you and a God who loves you more than you can imagine.
Questions to Consider:
What fears are holding you back right now?
When was the last time you truly surrendered control to God?
How might your perspective on fear change if you viewed it through the lens of God's perfect love?
Who in your life needs to hear that they're not alone in their struggles?
What's one step you can take today to start facing your fears with faith instead of fighting them alone?
Remember: In the battle between fear and love, love always wins. You just have to be willing to listen.