The 3 Letter Word I Was Terrified Of

Psalm 56:3 Tracie MilesI had been hearing about it for months. And it terrified me. Funny how 3 simple words can evoke panic and fear into our souls.

It’s just one 3 letter word, with 3 little letters.

F L U

Yep, I was terrified of the flu. Not only had I heard about it being an epidemic, but how heartbreaking tragedies had occurred as a result. So many people affected, out of work and school; many going to the hospital due to complications; or worse. My mind seemed to override common sense and I wanted my family and I to be obsessive about washing our hands and trying to stay away from people coughing, sneezing or looking feverish. I actually wanted to enforce a mask wearing policy for anyone with the last name of Miles but didn’t think that would be well received, or be considered fashionable in college or high school.

Yet, despite my precautions and overzealous fretting, somehow I got the flu anyway, for the first time in my entire life. (No, I did not have a flu shot, in case that’s your next question.) For those of you have experienced the flu, you know how miserable it is. But my flu began one night when I was out of town, followed by a 14 hour travel day on two airplanes in two airports which was most assuredly the most miserable day of my existence. And the people who had to sit beside me on those planes? Have mercy. God bless their souls.

The next 3 days were miserable too, with fever and all the normal symptoms. In fact, my son came home from school one day and asked if he needed me to call an ambulance, simply because in his 15 years of living he had never seen mom spend the whole day in bed. But then the next day, I woke up feeling nearly back to life, all of a sudden. Kind of like myself again.  And the following day, I felt great. In fact, so great that I had to treat myself to a shopping outing to celebrate my recovery. That’s perfectly normal, right? 🙂

Yes the flu was bad, but I survived it. It wasn’t the end other world, and afterwards, I felt great.

You know what that experience taught me? That usually, the things we fear the most are not nearly as scary once we actually experience them. We tend to blow our fears out of proportion, filling our minds with the very very very worst case scenario that could ever happen – and we become emotionally paralyzed as that fear controls and dictates our actions and behaviors.

Acknowledging that my fears about the flu might have been out of proportion until I overcame them reminded me of another 3 letter word I used to be just as terrified of. A tiny word that brought panic and fear into the pit of my stomach and would cause me to break out in a cold sweat at the thought of it.

What was that 3 letter word?

Y E S

Yes, Lord. I will go and share my story so that you can be glorified even though I’d rather keep it a secret. 

Yes, Lord. I will follow where you lead, even if I don’t like it or don’t understand. 

Yes, Lord. I will step out in faith and do whatever You call me to do to the best of my ability. 

Yes, Lord. I will forgive that person, even though they don’t deserve it. 

Yes, Lord. I will trust You in this really hard situation, even though I’m discouraged and afraid. 

Y E S – a simple 3 letter word that when applied to faith matters can seem as scary as getting the flu.  But it doesn’t have to be. We can choose whether or not to let our fears control us, or our faith. Now some fear is good – if it keeps us from making irrational decisions or doing things that are dangerous. But irrational fears will focus on all the negatives, and none of the positives – especially when it comes to taking risks for God.

Do you think it would be easier to say YES to God when He taps on our heart strings if we truly trusted Him and believed He always had us covered? If we let faith override our fears? If we stayed calm, resting in His strength, and believing He has our best interest at heart? I dare say – yes.

Our faith and belief in a positive future can lead to powerful actions today. The future has not happened yet and we have a say in what it looks like by the way we think and act. Our behaviors will be motivated by how much we trust God, or not.

Psalm 56:3 says “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Here David is expressing his deep trust in his Father, no matter what. Notice David doesn’t deny being afraid, and isn’t afraid to admit he has fears. But what he does do, is put his trust in God above his fears of man.  When David wrote this Psalm, he had been taken captive by the Philistines, and here we see him expressing fear of what might happen to him. But right off the bat, he puts his trust his God. He says YES to trusting Him.

We may not be fearing for our life, or fearing the flu, but we can all fear what lies ahead. What’s going to happen to us. What the future holds. What will the consequences be if we actually take a risk. Where will that step of faith lead.

Faith – or – Fear. It’s a choice we all have to make at one time or another. Let’s not let little 3 letter words scare us away from experiencing God’s best for our lives.

Need a little boost of inspiration and courage today, to trust God above all else –  for anything you’ve got going on in life? Sign up for my FREE 5 Day Faith Zone Challenge!  Click here for the info and to sign up.

** If you are a new subscriber to my blog from last week’s devotion, welcome friend! I’m so glad you ‘ve connected with me. You’ll be receiving more information in February about the upcoming Your Life Still Counts bible study.

WINNER! The winner of the free SKYPE consultation call with Fitness Expert Michelle Carlson is Kathleen who posted at 2015/02/04 at 2:11 pm. CONGRATS KATHLEEN! 

3 Comments

  1. Melissa on Friday, February 6, 2015 at 8:26 am

    That “flu” word has scared me, too. Our whole family has either had the flu, pneumonia or sinus infections for months. We are feeling better and I thank God for healing for everyone. Thank you for this post today. You gave us a great message! Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂



  2. Megan on Saturday, February 7, 2015 at 4:50 pm

    I really enjoyed this post! I’m a recovering germophobe and have been trying to be better in other areas too about walking in faith instead of hiding behind my fears. Thank you for your inspiring words!



  3. Terry on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 7:00 am

    It seems I’m frequently in a trust struggle with God. He, the Perfect Gentleman, lets me struggle, waiting for me to be still. Waiting for his child to relent, relinquish and be free. Thank you for this post. Today, this day, no matter what problem I encounter at work, I will Trust Him to work it out; I will know He has His best interest for my day, for my life, for my family. Praying for all who read your blog, for the one person who needs to know our Father is Real and ever present help in our times of trouble.



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Tracie Miles is a bestselling author and the Director of COMPEL Training with Proverbs 31 Ministries.  She helps women grow stronger in their faith, pursue the life of purpose God designed them for and live a life of peace, joy and happiness despite their circumstances.

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