I’ve just dropped my sister Penny and her husband Dave off at their airport on their way to London. Pen was very excited but a bit apprehensive…it reminded me of when I was an eight-year-old in Popondetta, New Guinea. Every few months the whole mission station would make a special outing to the Samboga river – a beautiful wide, deep river several hours away. But the river also had crocodiles further upstream. As the day of the picnic grew closer I would have nightmares about crocodiles and I would tell Mum and Dad emphatically that I didn’t want to go.
But come the day….the big Bedford truck would rumble to life and everyone would climb onto its deck, including me! And we would head off to the mighty Samboga river, excited and eager to dive into the cool water. All my apprehensions and dark ‘night time’ thoughts disappeared in the light of day. We all watched as the men each chose a large rock and walked into the river to see who could walk the furthest across the bottom of the river. And we children had wonderful diving competitions from the rocky cliff face. We never did see a crocodile there, and I’ve often thought of the way my young fears would swell and grow as the day of the picnic approached; and since those days I have often discovered that thinking about something is often worse than the actual thing itself. (A visit to the dentist falls into this category quite comfortably for me) As they say, 92% of our fears never eventuate. 🙂
And the wonderful thing for those of us who are Christians is that our lives are in His hands! So as Pen and Dave wing their way to Europe, they can rest in the confidence of the truths in Psalm 139.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.