I can't stop shaking

My heart is in anguish. The terror of death overpowers me. Fear and trembling overwhelm me. I can't stop shaking. Oh, how I wish I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness. How quickly I would escape – far away from this wild storm of hatred. Psalm 55: 4-8 NLT

Anyone remember the old commercial for a women's bubble bath product? “Calgon, take me away!” Well, here is the biblical version.

My heart is in anguish. The terror of death overpowers me, fear and trembling overwhelm me. I can't quit shaking. If only I had wings and could fly away to the quiet of the wilderness and be at peace!

Surely there has been a time when your heart was full of anguish or you were filled with terror. Have you ever been so overwhelmed that you could not stop shaking? Has life sometimes been so overwhelming that you wish you could just get in your car and drive away, leaving it all behind?

There have been times in my life – I don't know if I was full of fear or terror – when I certainly did not feel up to facing my inner or outer demons. Would anyone miss me if I just kept driving? What if I didn't take that turn or that exit and just kept going in this direction? Of course, I know that is not a solution but it certainly makes us feel like we know the psalmist.

God, sometimes I just want to fly away and leave all this behind. You know it, Lord. You see me at my best and my worst. Help me to hang in there and see this through. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2011 Amelia G. Sims