Fix Your Eyes Upon Jesus!

"And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20

Many years ago, we were blessed with an amazing opportunity to celebrate our anniversary with dear friends in Hawaii. In attempts to be wise with the limited amount of time that we had on Maui, we attended the complimentary breakfast, which was hosted by the travel company.  During their presentation, they highlighted the "Bike Down Maui" tour, which allowed you to ride a mountain bike down an inactive volcano.  Hearing about this adventure from other brave relatives and friends, I thought this would be a wonderful experience for my husband, who at that time was an avid cyclist. To this day, I can't figure out exactly how I was talked into this, but the next thing I knew, the tour guide was handing us FOUR non-refundable tickets for this adventure. As the guide was congratulating us for our bravery, I was thinking that never before had someone so blatantly misread me!

When the dreaded day finally arrived, my arms and legs literally shook with fear as the van drove us up to the top of the volcano. It had been a very long time since I had experienced the emotion of terror at this level. Determined that I was going to overcome this, I intensely prayed the entire bicycle journey down the volcano with my eyes solely focused on the expert guide who led the entire journey.  I didn't focus on the height, or the fact that there were no guardrails, or the drop offs; I just kept my eyes fixated on the one who knew how to get us down the volcano safely.

As our country is facing such an extremely alarming and challenging period of history dealing with a pandemic outbreak, how do we handle the fears or help our children in processing their concerns?  The answer is by staying focused on the "Almighty Guide".  Our peace and our comfort come from knowing that we are not alone in dealing with any situation. Jesus is always with us, guiding us through all of life's journeys.

Scripture promises us:

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."  Psalm 46:1

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."  Hebrews 12:1-2

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, and with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  Philippians 4:6

"And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age."  Matthew 28:20

God promises to always be with us!  He is our rock and our fortress. May you feel His presence and His peace this week and always.

In Jesus' Love,

Mrs. Palka

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