Peace transcending
By: Hannah Jane Saleeby
I have a life-threatening allergy to peanuts
and walnuts. If I ever ate a peanut or walnut, I would go into anaphylactic
shock.
When I was 4 months old, my mom began to feed me a wider
variety of foods. She gave me something with milk in it and my face broke out in hives! She took me to my pediatrician
and had me checked. When the doctors tested my blood, it reacted to peanuts,
treenuts, and milk.
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| This is me right after I got my blood drawn on our last trip to the States:) |
I have many fears as well. I’m terrified of fire, snakes, spiders, needles, and blood (it’s more like
multiple phobias, but the words are surprisingly long and complicated, therefore
they are impossible to remember;). It’s surprising that anaphylactic
reactions aren’t at the top of that list. I kind of see it as second nature to
check my food and carry my auto-injector, just like how you know that you would
never jump in front of a moving car, so you’re not afraid of the possibility.
I believe that fear exists because of our lack of trust
in God. I began to pray for trust in Him. He has
been putting things in my life causing me to trust Him. Recently He’s shown me Philippians
4:6-7 which says,
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in
every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will
guard your heart and mind, in Christ Jesus.”
The more
I think about this, the smaller my fears are. As I work on trust and He works
on me, I have had peace transcending. I am now 14 and I have had allergies for 14 years ... that's a total of about 5,110 days. In the bigger picture, that's 15,330 meals, and countless snacks. I
have never had an anaphylactic reaction in that entire time. You may consider me
lucky or overly cautious, but I believe that it’s God. He knows how scared I am
of needles and how gross I feel in hospitals. He knows the plan He has for my life. Every time I think about my
allergy or hear of a fatal reaction, I get nervous and anxious. But then, I
remember that my God is good, and my God is strong. He holds it all. He has
never once said, “Oops, didn’t mean to let that one slip,” so there is no need
to worry. I mean, seriously, why carry tomorrow’s burden with today’s strength? It encourages me that I am still here (I live in Guatemala and it is super hard
to explain my allergy to people. If you say "nut", they think "seed? Dry fruit?
Gluten? Nut?"... and the list goes on).
I think that because I know that life is so short, I want every
second to count and to glorify God. I realize that every second counts. Maybe
it's not me who has a shorter lifespan and if I pass up the opportunity God
gives me, that may have been that person’s last chance. I don’t know about you
but I’m not willing to risk that.
The only reason you and I are still here is
because God has a purpose for us. When our time here is so short, do we really
care more about stuff than people and the everlasting eternal things? Maybe you
feel like a nobody who not even God could care for or maybe you feel popular
and loved. What’s the difference? God made us all in His image. He sees the
bigger picture. He sees no difference.
When Jesus chose His disciples, He didn’t
choose the teachers and prophets, He chose fishermen and tax collectors. In His
eyes we are a small (important) part of His bigger plan. So, no matter who you are, just
know, God loves you, even if it feels like the whole world hates you. Jesus
stood in your shoes. He experienced fear just like you and I, and pain and
hunger and all the feelings we have experienced. He has power and peace that is
so huge, it’s impossible to wrap your head around.
I choose to lean into His open arms. I’m going to soak up His all-consuming love today. What about you?
