Several summers ago, when all five of my kids were pre-teens or young teens, they found this YouTube video of a song called “Dumb Ways to Die” (lyrics by Tangerine Kitty).
You can click the link to watch for yourself. Alternatively, you can just trust me … it’s a dumb video. (Jon disagrees. He liked it as much as the kids. Sometimes I question his taste in entertainment, but that’s a whole ‘nother post.)
Just imagine five kids (and their crazy dad) trying to out-sing each other:
“Set fire to your hair; Poke a stick at a grizzly bear …
Keep a rattle snake as a pet; Sell both your kidneys on the internet …
Dumb ways to die-ie-ie, So many dumb ways to die”
No one sang in tune or in the same key. Heck, they didn’t even all keep the same tempo! This truly was caterwauling at its finest … and it went on every single day, all summer long. They thought it was hilarious and spent hours laughing uproariously as they watched the video on repeat, until I thought all of their brain cells were going to rot from the continual inaneness and stupidity of the song.
For my children (who at the time were ages 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13), the summer of 2012 was The Summer of Great Silliness.
(Personally, I called it “the summer from you know where” … however, in light of the Summer of 2020, with its pandemic and riots and swarms of locusts, I admit in hindsight that I may have judged 2012 a bit harshly.)
The truth is, back in 2012, I wasn’t totally sure my kids would all live to see the end of the summer. I worried one of them might get the idea to try out one of the dumb things from the song just to make their siblings laugh and end up … well, you know … dead. Furthermore, based on their insane senses of humor, I had very little hope for their futures to be bright or successful should they survive after all.
Thankfully, that summer didn’t last forever.
I’m glad to report that not only did we all live to see the summer through, but no one actually tried out one of the dumb ways to die. (Don’t laugh … success is sometimes found in the small things.)
I’m even prouder to say that currently those same five children (now ranging in age from 17 up to 22) are doing quite well at managing their mostly adult-ish lives: holding down jobs, making great grades, washing their own clothes, returning library books. The list goes on and on.
That thing I was missing during the long summer of 2012 … well, I have it now. In fact, I have lots of hope for their futures.
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The world is currently a rather scary place.
Apparently, 2020 is determined to be the year from you know where. We cannot escape bad news. As if pandemics aren’t enough, people are rioting in the streets and killing each other and arguing over who should or shouldn’t have to wear a mask, all while children are being trafficked as objects of sexual gratification.
I don’t know about you but I have a lot of fear. Here’s a short list of things I’ve feared in the last six months:
- getting sick and/or dying with COVID
- not getting the correct medical treatment if I do get sick
- wearing a mask / not wearing a mask
- riots and shootings
- police being defunded
- going to church / being banned from going to church
- schools re-opening / schools not re-opening
- mail-in ballots
- outcome of the presidential election
- truthfulness of the media
- truthfulness of the government
- sending my kids out into this world
- my kids never leaving home (cause frankly this college break has been going on since mid-March and some of these people need to go back to their prior living situations — just sayin’)
The list is endless. I could add probably 50 more things to it right off the top of my head. But the point isn’t the list or any one of those items on it.
The point is that I don’t think I am the only one who is feeling fearful. In fact, mostly what I hear these days is fear … and it doesn’t matter which side I’m listening to.
We have become a fearful nation. And we are fearful because we have lost our hope.
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I’ve lived a lot of my life in fear. This is not a lie. You saw my partial list of fears from this summer! The struggle is real for me, y’all. Anxiety likes to snuggle up with me at night and be my bed buddy.
And that’s so not cool because as a Christian, there are three things I know about fear:
- Fear is a liar.
I live in the State of Louisiana, where the number of COVID cases since March is about 84,131.
That number is pretty scary. Eighty-four thousand people. That’s equivalent to a fair-sized city! And the more I think about exactly how many people that is, the more I start to freak out.
It’s not just that big number either because if you keep up with the headlines, the media announces each day the number of new COVID cases.
Are you like me, wondering will this ever end?!
Last week, I decided to take a good look at the COVID numbers on the Louisiana Department of Health website. These numbers, which are presented as straight facts, are updated every week on Wednesday. The numbers below were posted on Wednesday, July 15, 2020.
Total Tests completed by both state & commercial labs — 1,001,200
Total positive tests — 84,131
Total Deaths — 3,351
Normally, when I view the map with the numbers, I feel my anxiety start to ramp up. My throat tightens, my heart rate increases, and I feel the familiar panic start to set in. But this time I pushed through that initial anxiety. I didn’t stop to question whether or not these numbers are real or fake or inflated or whatever. Instead I did a little math.
(By the way, this isn’t rocket science math. It’s just basic percentages, exactly what my math teacher showed me how to do in Jr. High school. Your math teacher probably taught you how to do it too. If not, google has pretty simple explanations on how to figure up percentages. I know because I doubled check, just to be sure I remembered how to do it correctly.)
Louisiana has a total population of around 4.6 million people.
84,131 cases / 4.6 million people = .07% of the total population positive for COVID-19
84,131 cases / 1,001,200 completed tests = 8.4% positive test rate for those tested
3,351 deaths/ 84,131 cases = 3% death rate for those with COVID-19
The numbers haven’t changed. They are still big and scary. But, when looked at from a big picture perspective, I can also see the situation isn’t totally without hope. And while I still hate to think so many people have suffered and died from COVID, I can now view it in a more realistic manner.
COVID-19 is certainly a terrible thing to experience. But this world is full of many terrible things.
How about cancer or pneumonia or car wrecks or snake bites, just to name a few? I would hate for anyone to go through terrible things like this, but the truth is I don’t exactly live my life in fear of it happening either.
(Except for maybe the snake bites … I am currently pretty anxious about getting bitten by a snake. You see, several weeks ago I joined a FB group on snake bites and suddenly I am more worried about coming across a snake while weeding my flower beds or putting the trash can out at night. See, I told you I have a problem with anxiety.)
Anyway, here is my point:
Just because something is terrible doesn’t mean it has to be terrifying.
You see, fear is a liar. Fear is never from God. Furthermore, Jesus Himself said, “The truth will set you free.” (~John 8:32)
If fear is a liar and the truth can set us free, then …
2. Fear is a dumb way to live.
It shouldn’t surprise us that terrible things happen because the Bible tells us that in this world we will experience troubles. (John 16:33) Bad things are going to happen to us.
Even so, a Christian has no reason to fear.
In fact, you will see the words “Fear not” or “Do not fear” more than 100 times in the Bible. (This number does not include all of the other 500+ verses that address fear but do not use that phrase.) Obviously, God does not want us to fear.
But about when we do fear? Like right now … when the world seems to spin out of control and all hope feels lost. I’m human and I get scared. As a Christ-follower, how do I deal with my fear?
Here are a few things I’ve found to help me deal with my own fears in this life:
Remember who God is.
God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore, we will not be afraid though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with its turmoil. ~ Psalm 46: 1-3
Over and over God tells us that He will not leave us. He promises no matter how dark or how long the night, He is with us. Sometimes, when the fears hit me hard, I have to say it over and over and over again, like a spiritual mantra. Breath it in. Breathe it out. God will never leave me or forsake me. He is my strong tower.
Spend time in the Bible and in prayer.
I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. ~ Psalm 34: 4
How do we seek God?
Well, one thing is for certain: keeping track of the ever-changing numbers or tuning your TV to the 24-hour news cycle or spending hours keeping up with the social media frenzy about whether or not to wear a mask will not bring you peace or comfort! (I know because following that FB snake bite group has made me more afraid of snakes than ever before!)
There is such a thing as too much information.
Instead, spend time reading the Bible and talking to God in prayer. Call up another Christian friend for encouragement. Tune into online worship services or attend in person if you can. God wants to be close to you, and when we make God a priority in our life, then we will ultimately find more of the things He has promised us … mainly His peace and joy and love.
Troubles may find us, but Jesus said, “I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly!” (John 10:10) I am grateful I can experience God’s abundance here on earth, even in the midst of bad things.
Living a life of abundance is good, but eventually we are all going to die. And if we are going to experience death, then …
3. Fear is a dumb way to die.
What’s the worst thing that can happen?
My husband Jon likes to ask me this a lot … especially when I am particularly anxious about something really random, like being bitten by a snake as I push the trash can to the end of the driveway.
Generally, my response is, “Well, I could die!”
Is that really such a bad thing? (Snake bites, yes. Dying, no.)
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” ~John 11: 25-26
We know that this earthly life will end. What happens then?
Some people say those who have died go on to sleep in the arms of Jesus or rest in eternal peace or become an angel. According to the Bible, none of that’s true.
Lots of people talk about Heaven being our final destination. It’s a perfect place: a beautiful place with streets of gold and a crystal sea, where the inhabitants experience endless joy without tears or pain or sorrow.
The great news is all of that IS true! In fact, the Bible indicates that Heaven is a place where we will eat and work and laugh and worship. We certainly aren’t going there to sleep in heavenly peace; we are going there to live with abundance!
However, there is only one condition. In order to go to heaven, you must submit your life to Jesus Christ. He is the only way. Only He can forgive us of our sins and reconcile us to God. There is no other option.
Have you thought about eternity? Have you asked God to forgive you of your sins and given your life to Him?
If not, I urge you to do that today because dying without Jesus wouldn’t just be dumb. It would be tragic.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is save. ~ Romans 10: 9-10
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The summer of 2012 was a hard summer for me as a mom. I felt like my tweens and young teens were never going to be responsible adults. I was parenting without hope.
A lot of people today are living in fear: COVID, unstable economy, cashless society, race relations, lack of respect for police, upcoming elections, etc. It feels like a hopeless situation.
It’s not.
But in order to get that hope, you have to know where to find it.
Jesus is our great hope. Trust in Him and see what a difference He can make in your life.
Without Christ there is no hope. ~Charles Spurgeon.
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