It’s Just Biscuits…Is that not a catchier title than “Fear Not”? After listening to Eric Gilbert’s message more than three times in the last month, that’s the lesson that resonated with me. If ever presented the chance, I might just offer my unsolicited opinion; however, it’s mentioned in this post because rather than the theme word of Onward for 2024, which I borrowed from a respected colleague, perhaps my phrase for the year will be It’s Just Biscuits! I’ll have to ask her what she thinks.

Hopefully, you are at least somewhat Curious about where this post may be heading, after all, what connection could there possibly be between fear and biscuits? But Fear Not, I will attempt to offer an explanation to the weird associations my mind can create when hearing someone’s teaching. To illustrate the battle with fear that Mary, the mother of Jesus, likely experienced after being informed by an angel that she was now expecting a child, Gilbert shares a story that emphasizes how fear can sometimes paralyze us. An undercover police officer relates how a city became fearful after word spread that a local gang was preying on women and shooting them without cause. Seeing a distressed woman sitting in her car with her hands holding the back of her head, a concerned person asks if she’s okay. The woman explains that she’s been shot and is attempting to hold her brains in. As responders pull her out of the car, they realize that a hot can of biscuits has exploded from the back seat, sounding like a gunshot. After being knocked unconscious by the “shot,”, the woman thought her brain was coming out of her head. “Fear will make you believe some crazy stuff.” There was no gunshot, It’s Just Biscuits!

There are enough variations of Fear Not located in Scripture to calm me every day of the year, and although I can recite many of these verses, fear still seems to be winning in this season of uncertainty. How do I completely uproot a life of 34 years? There is a lot of fear in leaving the community where my life is invested. Starting over with an employer, colleagues, a church, unknown neighbors, medical providers…knowing who is trustworthy and dependable…and don’t even get me started on a hair stylist because she is a therapist, counselor, and confidence-booster all in one…these aren’t Just Biscuits kind of fears.

The fear takes over and you begin to doubt that you’ve been following God’s path for your life. You begin to ask Big Questions that seem to have no immediate answer. You fear that your focus in life has been on the wrong things and that you will never be at peace again. You long to engage in Radical Obedience that puts you into proximity to what God is doing here on earth, but you really have no clue what He is currently asking you to do. You desire to be living out your God-Given Space, but it’s so challenging to Surrender All, to stop holding your biscuits and step into What’s Next, because you have no clue what’s around the corner Beyond the Headlights.

Currently, the Fear Not message is falling on deaf ears. I’m ready to shout, “It’s Just Biscuits!”, but I’m not there yet, nor does it feel as if I ever will be. With months of life-altering decisions to be made, I’m overwhelmed, and this girl relishes her security—she’d truly planned to retire from the institution she cares so deeply about. It’s in these dark moments that I cling to God’s Word, to the Understanding of others, and I Don’t Stop Praying—not for my own situation or for the even darker days that many others are walking through.

So, what do you think the phrase for 2024 should be: Onward, Uprooted, Fear Not, or It’s Just Biscuits…I’ll let you cast a vote in the comments below and look forward to the day ahead when these days just become Forgotten Memories!

References:

Gilbert, E. (2023, December 10). Fear not. [Video livestream]. 3trees Church. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7otCyKeV1PU

West, M. & Pardo, J. (2024, January). Don’t stop praying. [Song]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/bpbZqMJ-B44?si=B9xuHbdZrmydmQD1