The Absence Of, For the Presence Of

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for ever more." Psalm 16:11

I had a CT scan this past week and the results revealed some concerns.  Enough to repeat another scan in four months.  But a wonderful thing happened when I heard the results from my doctor:  I had no fear.  In times past, my health has caused me great anxiety, worry, and fear.  In times past, I would meditate on my health concern most of the day and well into the night.  But not this time.

What changed?

I exchanged my fear for the presence of my Saviour.

My pastor, Josh Fryman, said something recently in one of his messages, that I have played over and over again in my mind.  He said, "You have heard that the absence from worry brings contentment, and that's true, but to have the absence of something, you must have the Presence of Someone, and that Someone is Christ."

It's true.

The absence of fear in my life is a result of having the presence of God in my life.

The absence of worry, anxiety, stress, and you fill-in-the-blank, is a result of having the presence of God in our lives.

I've wasted too many years worrying about things that I cannot change.  I refuse to do so this time around.

I'm choosing the absence of fear...

    And seeking comfort in the presence of my Saviour...

        But that's just me!