.png)
By Hannah Pearce
We are living in a time when the future is more uncertain than it ever has been. You can no longer leave your house without the potential threat of a deadly disease. Terrorism is at the back of your mind and there is always the potential for a nuclear war. Let alone the uncertainty of relationship breakdowns, losing a loved one or having enough job stability to keep up your mortgage payments. Life. Is. Uncertain.
For me, this is something I have greatly struggled with over recent months and have found it difficult to see where God is in it all. It has felt like the world is collapsing at an alarming rate and I have seen little hope. So, how can we as Christians not be overcome by the same anxiety that the world faces? One day during lockdown, while feeling incredibly down, the Lord brought a song into my head - as is often the way when I haven't listened to Him. If you haven't heard the song Already There by Casting Crowns, I would highly recommend it, but some of the lyrics go like this:
From where You're standing
Lord, You see a grand design
That You imagined
When You breathed me into life
And all the chaos
Comes together in Your hands
Like a masterpiece
Of Your picture perfect plan
When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You're already there
You're already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there
You're already there
To you my future is a memory - this line has stuck with me every day during lockdown, because the reality is - God, while here with us now, is already stood at the end of time - battle won - death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered. I don't have anything to worry about, because Jesus has already done it all...He is already there.
None of us know how our lives are going to play out, and the reality is that this life will never be easy because our loving Father is teaching us new things everyday. But, God never intended for us to spend our whole lives in the depths of anxiety, instead Jesus came so that we may have life - and have life to the full (John 10:10).
I am a major worrier and have often struggled with anxiety, so I know how difficult this is to live practically. I love my life in neat boxes that I can file away and know they won't be tampered with. If there's a job that needs doing, I won't let other people do it in case they don't do it properly. Letting go is something God is teaching me on a daily basis. Life is supposed to go wrong. In the moments life has gone wrong, my character has been changed the most deeply and God has felt more real than ever before. If life was plain sailing, we would never grow. Fortunately, God loves us enough to lead us through those trials to shape us into something beautiful and draw us closer to Him. 'Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.' (James 1:2-4)
In those desperate moments of uncertainty, when I take it to God, I can physically feel my heart less weighed down. He has had to deal with my tears, anger, laughter and pride, but he has always put me back in my place - right by His side.
I hope you can find some comfort in knowing that God is already stood at the end of your life, arm outstretched, waiting to welcome you into His loving arms for all eternity. In that moment, everything that has gone before will no longer matter and be but a distant memory. So, on the dark days when life seems without hope, let God whisper to you through the storm 'Courage, dear heart'... I am already here, and I'm waiting for you.