🌿 Here Is God
*
**Day 4: Here Is God**
A gentle walk through fear, thought, and grace
Dear friends,
Have you ever looked at a season of life and thought, *“Here be dragons”*?
Ancient sailors once marked their maps with warnings—dragons, demons, sirens—over the places they feared to explore. I’ve done the same. Over the waters of adulthood: *Here be dragons.* Over grief: *Here be demons.* Over the far edges of anxiety: *Here be sirens.*
But today’s reflection reminded me of Sir John Franklin—a mariner who chose faith over fear. He crossed out those warnings and wrote something truer:
**“Here is God.”**
That phrase settled into me like sunlight. Because even when life feels shadowy or uncertain, God doesn’t wait for us to reach safe shores. He meets us in the murky waters and whispers, *“I am with you always.”*
Max Lucado’s *Calm Moments for Anxious Days* and *Tame Your Thoughts* helped me reframe pain and fear with truth and tenderness. I used three mindset tools—Picky Thinking, UFOs, and Uproot & Replant—to gently shift my thoughts from abandonment to presence.
Here’s what I’m holding today:
🌿 I am never alone.
🌿 God is already present in the places I fear.
🌿 Even when the map feels blank, *Here is God.*
**Scripture of Hope:**
“If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there… even there your hand will guide me.”
**Psalm 139:8–10**
**Gentle Invitation:**
If you’re navigating a shadowy season, I invite you to pause and breathe. Let yourself imagine a signpost that reads *Here Is God*. Let that truth settle into your heart.
**Closing Blessing:**
May you feel held today.
May you walk gently into the unknown, knowing God is already there.
May your map be rewritten with grace.
With love and light,
Tracey
—
**P.S.**
Want to know more about Sir John Franklin, the mariner who inspired this reflection?
📚 [Read his story on Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Franklin)
Reflecting on Calm Moments for Anxious Days and Section 10 of Tame Your Thoughts to remember God’s presence in every unknown.
🌿 My Gentle Reflection
“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
MATTHEW 28:20 NKJV
Ancient sailors once marked their maps with warnings:
“Here be dragons.”
“Here be demons.”
“Here be sirens.”
It was their way of naming the unknown. The places that felt dangerous, mysterious, or impossible to navigate. I’ve done the same with my own life. Over the waters of adulthood: “Here be dragons.” Over the grief of loss: “Here be demons.” Over the far edges of anxiety and uncertainty: “Here be sirens.”
But today’s devotional reminded me of Sir John Franklin1, a mariner who chose faith over fear. He crossed out those warnings and wrote something truer:
“Here is God.”
That phrase settled into me like sunlight. Because I’ve been tempted to label parts of my life as too dark, too broken, too far gone. But God doesn’t abandon us in the shadows. He doesn’t wait for us to reach safe shores. He meets us in the murky waters and says, “I am with you always.”
Section 10 of Tame Your Thoughts echoes this truth. Max Lucado writes that pain often puzzles us, especially when it feels undeserved or unrelenting. But God doesn’t ask us to understand it; He asks us to trust Him through it. Even when we don’t have answers, we are not alone. Even when the map feels blank, God is already there.
✨ My Scripture of Hope
“If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of th… me fast.”
PSALM 139:8–10
🕊️ My Anxious Thoughts to Release
That the unknown is dark.
That God is silent there.
That I’m navigating it alone.
🌸 God’s Promise to Me
When I am puzzled by pain, God writes “Here is God.”
I can trust Him to walk with me through unknown waters.
He will hold me fast.
🙏 My Prayer
Lord, thank You for meeting me in the places I’ve labeled “too far.”
For crossing out fear and writing your name over my life.
Help me feel Your nearness in every shadow.
Help me believe that “Here is God” is always true. Amen
🧠 Gentle Tools for Taming My Thoughts
Inspired by Section 10 of Tame Your Thoughts, I used three mindset tools to respond to pain and uncertainty with truth and tenderness.
1. 🛡️ Practice Picky Thinking
Journal Entry:
This morning, pain whispered, “You’re forgotten. This doesn’t matter.”
I paused.
Is this true? No—God is with me.
Is this kind? Not at all.
Is this from God? Not even close.
I replaced it with: “I am seen. I am held. I am not alone.” That shift felt like a hand reaching out.
2. 👽 Identify UFOs
Journal Entry:
Same moment, same ache.
- Untruth: I’ve been abandoned.
- False Narrative: I’m not worth staying for.
- Overreaction: I should isolate and stop reaching out.
I named it a UFO and gently released it. I reminded myself: “God never leaves. I am not forgotten.” That shift felt like a breath of grace.
3. 🌱 Uproot and Replant
Journal Entry:
That ache stirred up an old belief: “I’m too much to love.”
I paused and chose to uproot it.
Is this true? No—God loves me fully.
Is this kind? Definitely not.
Is this from God? No—He speaks life, not shame.
I replanted truth: “I am loved. I am worthy. I am never abandoned.” That shift felt like a quiet homecoming.
📘 Books That Helped Me Heal
- Sir John Franklin (1786–1847) was a British naval officer and Arctic explorer best known for his ill-fated expedition to chart the Northwest Passage. He served in major naval battles, including Trafalgar, and later became Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania). His final voyage in 1845 aboard HMS Erebus and Terror ended in tragedy, with all crew lost in the Canadian Arctic. Despite this, Franklin’s legacy endures as a symbol of courage, exploration, and perseverance in the face of the unknown.
For a detailed biography, visit Britannica’s entry on Sir John Franklin. ↩︎