My screams woke my parents in the next room.
I was in sixth grade when I was startled awake by a cool draft of air. By the time I rubbed my sleepy eyes and looked up, a strange man was halfway through my bedroom window.
That’s when I screamed. It was all I could do, because the rest of me was frozen in terror.
I remember the sound of my mom’s voice as she ran to my room.
“Cynthia?”
When you’re afraid, you want to hear your name. You want to know someone is near who knows you and cares about you. Someone who’s got your back.
HE KNOWS YOUR NAME
That’s what I find so remarkable about the angel Gabriel’s response when he “was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:26-27, HCSB).
No doubt Mary was terrified. So, he called her by name. The angel said, “ Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30, HCSB).
God knew Mary by name.
He knows your name, too.
The Bible says God knew all our inward parts from the day we were conceived. “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!” (Psalm 139:14-16, TLB).
That means every unborn child―no matter how long they live―is known intimately by God. All we see is a blurry―or, if we’re lucky, a 4D―ultrasound photo, but God sees far more. He knows and understands their personalities, gifts, and quirks. How many days or years they’ll live. And whether they’ll prefer vanilla over chocolate.
The Giver of Life is well acquainted with all our ways. Only He knows “what I am going to say before I even say it” (Psalm 139:4, TLB). Our fears. Our doubts. Our insecurities. Our anxieties. Our jealousies. Our reluctances. Our pretenses. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Yet, He loves us.
HOW TO STOP BEING AFRAID OF EVERYTHING
When life feels overwhelming, scary, painful, or anxious, I’ve learned to seek refuge in the One who knows my name. In HIs strong arms, I have a better understanding of how to stop being afraid of everything.
The terror-stricken night that rattled my life in sixth grade and left me afraid of the dark for years ended without incident. The intruder fled at the sound of my screams. My dad hunted for him with a carving knife from the kitchen, but the trespasser couldn’t be found and never returned.
Life still frightens me sometimes. Yet, I know―even though I’m sometimes startled by my circumstances―nothing takes God by surprise. No matter how confusing, exasperating, or unclear things look on this side of heaven, God is fulfilling a greater plan in everything that happens.
He did it with Mary, and He does it with you and me.
