I was taken hostage.

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Last Thursday I was taken hostage. The capture happened on my icy  driveway as I was  attempting to enter the vehicle. The  screaming terrorists pushed me through the cold garage & into the house.

Their unrelenting threats continued all week .

Stockholm Syndrome melted my will & I came into agreement with their plans.

Plans that:

• Locked me into a vicious cycle of withdrawal & self-protection
• That suspended life in the moment
• That damaged relationships
• That could lead to choices ending in destruction & death.

I was taken hostage by a fear.  It is not just generalized anxiety but a specific targeted nameable fear.

My fear is fear of falling.

The fear imprisoned me.  The fear robbed me of actively participating in life giving relationships. The fear stole the opportunity to spend time with my grandson.

Fear screamed .

Panic drove me back into the house.

I chose to yield to the voice of fear.

Fears’ companions led to a week of ‘crazy thinking’.

The assault came to a climax yesterday. The intruders whispered ‘wearing socks is dangerous- your floors are slippery- you could fall’.

The whisperers left me with ’no escape- no solution’.

But God………

Caused the war to end.

In the early hours of this morning words exploded from Psalm 116.

He bent down to listen.

He heard my voice & my prayer for forgiveness for letting fear rule.

 

He answered my prayer for mercy.

 

He reminded me that when I faced death he had protected &  saved me

• As a premature baby born in 1945
• As a seven year old with ruptured appendix
• At 20 when hit by a train
• At 22 when hit by a garbage truck
• At 32 when hit by a cement truck
• At 61 when facing life in a wheel chair He gave me new knees.

He Has Saved Me From Death

My Eyes From Tears

My Feet From Stumbling

And  So I Walk In The Lords Presence 

Psalm 116: 7-9

 

And now

• I Can Choose Life

• I Can Reject Death

• I Can Be Free From The Hostage Takers

My Offering

I Will Offer Him A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

I Will Call Upon The Name of the Lord.

Psalm 116:17

Your Turn

Spend time in Psalm 116.

What words explode?

What fear is taking you hostage?

What are  the companion voices?

How are you living life or death today?

Virtually yours

linda