When you’re a parent of a child with special medical concerns, you often coast on auto-pilot.  You do what needs to be done and just keep pushing ahead and it becomes routine and a new “normal” is established… Most of the time.

But every so often you crash.  Anxiety sneaks in and you suddenly realize it’s hard to breathe or eat or think, and you can’t stop the barrage of emotions that engulf your heart.  That was me this morning in preparing for our Duke trip.  Full-on anxiety attack with a nice mix of bull-headed-ness as I decided I just don’t want to do this today.

But, dear friends, when we find ourselves in those pits of pure yuck, God doesn’t abandon us.  As I faltered my way through the morning, He stopped me, and led me to the 13th chapter of Hebrews.  Now, there’s a lot of meat in that chapter, but there were a few verses that just spoke directly to my troubled heart today.

First, verse 6: So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”  Confidence.  No fear.  

Verse 8… Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Knowing this, why in the world am I anxious?  He is constant.  And regardless of what we face, nothing changes who He is.

And then, verse 15… Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.  Praise is continual, without stop, regardless of circumstances… And it’s sometimes a sacrifice.  It’s not always the easiest thing to do, and we have to make that choice to give Him praise, because of who He is.

As we settle in this evening and rest up for tomorrow’s events, I will rest in the confidence I have knowing He is my Helper.  I will remember that no matter what, He is.  And I will choose to offer Him my praise for all  that He is and all that He has already done.  “Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the evening comes…”

http://youtu.be/XtwIT8JjddM