Monday Madness

What a clever title for this post. I should have thought of it a million Mondays ago and I would have used it every single Monday since then. The truth is, madness is exactly the word that fits with my Mondays. I was sure that if I lived through last week, I would live forever. I was wrong. If I live through this week, I will live forever. 

Oh but I'm not here to complain. If I'm not careful, "A Lovely History" will become "A Not-So-Lovely History" with all of my rants and whining about school and life in general. So here is what I am going to do. I believe there are three types of madness. One type of madness deals with rage (which is the one I am really leaning towards, since I just looked at my grades... but we won't go there). The other type of madness is insanity (which is the one I will be when this semester is over and my brain has been fried for good... but we won't go there). The final type of madness, the one I want to talk about is a madness that has to do with ecstasy, or enthusiasm. Something that gets you so PUMPED it's just plain madness. 

What in the world am I talking about? I'm talking about what I taught in Sunday School to the teenagers at church, but ultimately to myself as well. Here is what I have learned:

The phrase "fear not" is mentioned 365 times in the Bible, once for everyday of the year, if you will. 

That's not the madness part. That's the part you find when you google "Fear Not." 

Here is the madness part... Maybe you have questioned, "Why does the phrase, "fear not" mean so much?" Okay, maybe you haven't, but I like to make things a little difficult. This is me: Joseph tells me all the time, "just don't worry about... whatever." And every single time I get frustrated because, you know what? It's not like I want to worry! It just happens. I know the Bible tells me not to worry, but that doesn't make it any easier! I feel the same way sometimes about "fear not" because yeah, I hear ya, but it's not like I want to be fearful, it just happens. I know the Bible tells me to fear not, but does that make it any easier?

 Actually yes....

This is why the phrase "fear not" is so comforting: it represents a promise. Every single time that God tells us not to fear, he gives us a reason why we shouldn't. Do not fear because "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." Fear not because "I will hold your hand." Fear not because "I am with you." Fear not because "I will fight this battle for you." 

That's madness.