What Do You Dread?

 

Sitting on the church pew last week, I had one of those silent arguments between my body and my spirit.

We were singing the old hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” when the tiff started.

What have I to dread,

What have I to fear,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

 

Body: What have I to dread? Well, actually, quite a lot.

Spirit: You don’t know that.

Body: Exactly. I don’t know. That’s when you dread.

Spirit: But you’ll be able to lean on Him if bad things happen.

Body: I KNOW that. But don’t you mean “when” rather than “if?”

Spirit: You’re so negative. Count your blessings.

Body: I have counted. I’m grateful. I’m also scared.

Spirit: Sing the next line “what have I to fear.”

Body: Are we being honest here? I’m afraid of the downsides of aging. Of suffering. Of loss. Of being alone. Of …

Spirit: No, never alooooooone. (switching songs in mid-argument) He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. ♪♪♫♪♪

Body: Shut up! They’re still singing “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.”

 

The internal argument prompted me to look up the history of the song. Dependable Wikipedia documented the hymn, published in 1887 with lyrics by Anthony J. Showalter and Elisha Hoffman. Showalter had received two letters from former students, saying their wives had died. His return note of consolation included an encouraging scripture, the same one I had selected for my theme scripture to get through cancer a few years ago.

The God of old is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. [Deut 33:27, CSB]

 

Spirit: And those are some mighty strong arms.

Body: Yes, they are.

Spirit: And they can hold you when you’re scared and suffering and alone.

Body: I love it when you win!

 

The things we dread vary at different seasons of life. What do you dread today? What are you scared of today? It can be a lot sometimes, but know that His arms are strong enough for all of it.