A Haunted Night

Leaves are tinged with

October’s flush,

Holding their breath

In twilight’s hush.

The moon’s milky eye

Peers beneath a hooded lid.

He slinks through the sky

Like an inky squid.

Clouds creep across

Layering leaden murk.

The night’s lights are lost;

Ghostly shadows lurk.

Cornstalks are rattling,

Ragged in the wind,

Like skeletons chattering

Through toothsome grins.

An owl haunts the night

With a hair-raising warning,

Freezing us with fright,

But he’s gone in the morning.

Reflections: Overcoming Fear

Have you ever walked outside after dark on a fall night? The dark can be quieting. The largeness of the black night can have a calming effect for some people. Often, though, this largeness can make a person feel small and defenseless, like he might be swallowed by night’s yawning mouth. The murkiness of a starless sky, the rustle of something scurrying in dry leaves, and the haunting cry of an owl can raise the hairs on the nape of the neck, heightening feelings of fear and dread of the unknown. A dark night such as this can lay bare the anxieties and vulnerabilities we usually stuff beneath the surface of our busy days.

Fear. Anxiety.

They can be debilitating enemies that rob us of confidence to step forward into hard things and take on difficult situations. These enemies can paralyze us, binding our feet and hands, encasing us in an invisible straitjacket, leaving us powerless. But we were not made for this. We were made to move through hard things with quiet confidence, walking past fear, leaving it behind. As children of God, our identities are in him, not the fears lurking in the dark. We are people of light, not shadows. Our identity is defined by hope, not despair; peace, not anxiety; confidence, not insecurity; goodness, not evil; healing, not brokenness. We belong to the kingdom of angels, not goblins.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." ~2 Timothy 1:7

If panic seizes you, stinging you with paralyzing venom, and you feel tightness gripping your chest while darkness overtakes your vision, find a quiet place to sit down. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. You belong to God. Fear has no hold on you. Panic must release her grip and slink away like a toothless hag, cowering into the night.

Practice

One technique taught by therapists to manage and overcome anxiety is the Breathing Box, often called “square breathing.” Imagine a box with four sides. Breathe in through your nose up one side for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 4 across the top of the box, slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of 4 down the right side of the box, then hold your breath for a final count of 4 as you mentally move along the bottom of the box. Repeat this exercise as needed for several minutes. This practice should help you grow calm and decompress from an anxiety attack. 

As you practice this breathing technique, combine it with a simple prayer by thinking of the syllable Yah on the inhale and Weh on the exhale. Yahweh is an ancient Hebrew name for God. It’s syllables sound like inhaling and exhaling, reminding us that God is as near as our very breath.

"Be anxious for nothing...and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 4:6a,7

by Heather J. Willis, author