Fear Not
It’s that time of year again; time to choose a word for the upcoming year. I’m not sure if having a word is as fashionable in 2022 as it was five or six years ago, but I appreciate the practice and intention. I’m sure everyone has their own method of choosing or discovering their word. Personally, as the new year approaches, I begin asking myself what worked during the past year to help me stay grounded and encouraged and what didn’t. Then, I think about the mystery of the upcoming year and say little prayers as I fall asleep, asking God to reveal to me in one way or another the word or phrase that will be meaningful to me.
Part of this process is reflecting on the past year and being realistic about what is to come. We can all agree that 2020 was a dumpster fire. We wanted to have high hopes for 2021, but I didn’t let myself get too excited. In many ways, 2021 gave us hope. We made it through a worldwide shutdown, vaccines allowed us to breathe a little easier as we went about our daily lives, our kids went back to school, and we all discovered an amazing new technology that allowed us to attend business and PTA meetings in our pajama pants: Zoom.
On the other hand, 2021 brought a whole new set of challenges. Teachers admit that this school year has been, in many ways, even harder than the semester they spent teaching online school. We are still experiencing the ripple effect of a global shut down a year ago even as we attempt to get back to “normal.” Environmental uncertainty not only right this minute but for the world our children and grandchildren will have to live in keeps my anxiety for the future at a steady simmer.
With another year of uncertainty on the horizon, fear and anxiety can easily become my constant companion.
Back to why we’re here–choosing a word for the year. There is a choral piece by John Ferguson that my choir sings called “Fear Not.” It is based on Isaiah 43:
Now this is what the Lord says–the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel–“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. Because you are precious in my sight and honored, and I love you.” (CSB)
Even though we haven’t sung this song as a choir for over a year, the words and melody have been playing in my head. It starts out with the phrase “Fear not, for I am with you.” The song ends with each musician singing the phrase “Fear not, I love you” over and over, each in their own self-determined tempo until the conductor decides he or she is ready to draw everyone back in and bring it to a close.
One of the many podcasts I listen to is The Next Right Thing with Emily P. Freeman. The same week the song “Fear Not” had been playing in my head, episode 199 of The Next Right Thing was simply Emily reading Psalm 27, which says,
The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – whom should I dread? When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell. Though an army deploys against me, my heart will not be afraid . . . I have asked one thing from the Lord; to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. (CSB)
There is so much to be afraid of in this world. There is so much uncertainty facing us in 2022 that we could easily become overwhelmed and live in a house of fear. Isaiah 43 and Psalm 27 remind us not to be afraid. Not because it will all be OK and bad things won’t happen if we have enough faith. On the contrary, I’m certain darkness awaits, and it may not be OK. Both passages are realistic that life is full of pain. No, we can’t rely on goodness and prosperity to banish our fear. Instead, we can look fear in the face because we are not alone. God knows your name and my name. He is our comforter during the upheaval we will experience.
We are not alone, and we are loved. That is why Fear Not is my word (phrase) for 2022.
is a writer and blogger but more importantly, a wife and mother to two little boys. In her free time (if there is any) she can be found wiping snotty noses and volunteering in her community and school. Learn more about Stephanie along with her passion to encourage women and lighten their load at www.hugskissesandsnot.com.
Photograph © Vasiliy Skuratov, used with permission
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