As You Follow

As spring approaches, I think about my grandfather. He died on Christmas day in 2009. I loved that man dearly. He said whatever was on his mind. It didn’t matter if it was something you wanted to hear or not and somehow he never seemed to offend anyone. I gave him plenty of hair cuts on his front porch (I really don’t know why he trusted me to do this; I’m thinking maybe he didn’t have the best eyesight haha.) He taught me how to appreciate creation around us. He loved to watch squirrels play and loved to see the flowers blooming and leaves coming back on the trees in the spring. He also loved to watch hummingbirds that would zoom around the feeders my grandmother had hanging.

The spring after he died, I spent a lot of mornings on my own front porch reading my Bible and praying. There had been a lot of bees around our house and I don’t like bees, wasps, hornets, spiders or any insect that could possibly harm me! I could hear the bees buzzing around our plants and then I heard loud buzzing very close to me. I closed my eyes and held my breath hoping this huge “bee” would soon leave me alone. Then I felt the Lord say “open your eyes” and when I did, I saw the most beautiful hummingbird right in front of my face. I felt the Lord speak to my spirit “Tori, if you keep your eyes closed in fear, you are going to miss out on My glory and beauty.”

In Mark 10, the disciples had just listened to Jesus teach some things that were pretty hard. In verse 32, it says “And as they followed they were afraid….” Notice it does not say “They were afraid, so they closed their eyes and stood still.” Nor does it say “They were afraid so they turned back.” No they pushed through their fear and continued to follow Jesus. Like the disciples, we may be afraid but we know that sheep desperately need their Shepherd. Sheep know there is no safer place than in the care of their shepherd, so wherever he leads they will follow. Will we do the same? Wherever our Jesus leads, will we boldly trust and follow Him or will we shrink back in fear? Yes, the disciples were persecuted and many were killed but they continued to follow their Shepherd because He is worth it all. We too are called to press on through our fear and follow the One who drives out fear with His perfect love.

Every spring I hear and see these beautiful creatures and I remember that fear has no place within me. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

Open your eyes and experience His beauty…..As you follow.

“God incarnate is the end of fear; and the heart that realizes that He is in the midst…..will be quiet in the midst of alarm.” F.B. Meyer