When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. (Psalm 56:3, NASB)
That particular day I was late. I’d stuffed my knitting into a bag and rushed to the coffee shop where my friends were already gathered. It had become our habit to meet once a week for a little healthy breathing space and companionship. We’d catch up on each other’s families, discuss issues we were dealing with, and share prayer requests.
When I pulled out my yarn to begin working on my scarf, all I had was a jumbled mess. In my haste to get out the door, my rough handling had left me with hours of detangling ahead. I began to work gently, knowing that any yanking would only pull the knots tighter.
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As I worked, one of my friends made an observation I’ll never forget.
“You know, that knot of yarn is an awful lot like fear.”
I just stared at her. She knew how much I was struggling with fear while our son was deployed. With him in harm’s way, my world had lost its foundation. Everywhere I turned, I found conflict, condemnation and confusion. My view into the future had turned from a beautiful thread of hope into a tangled mess—a lot like the yarn I was wrestling with. The more I struggled with and focused on my fears, the tighter the knots became.
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I had to stop, present the knotted mess to God, and let Him untangle my life. Sure enough, with time and His help, I learned how to relax my hold on terror and rest in the hope only God could provide.
