As the KLM jet took off from the Atlanta airport, I gazed up the aisle from the back of the plane. A feeling of claustrophobia crept in as I realized I was trapped in this hollow tube for the next nine hours. No turning back now, I thought. I tried to relax, but the previous three months had already done a number on my anxiety. Unfortunately, it was about to get a whole lot worse.

April of that year brought the devastating tornado outbreak that tore through the heart of Tuscaloosa. The following three weeks were long days with no downtime, as we poured all our energy into the response, rescue, and recovery efforts. In May, not fully recovered from the storm detail, I was on a plane to Ecuador for my first real mission trip abroad. Then, in June, just six days after my return from Ecuador, I boarded a plane for another 10-day trip to Africa.

If all that wasn’t enough, the malaria prevention med that I was taking had horrible psychological side effects that nearly sent me over the edge. In Africa, I was unwillingly introduced to culture shock, which kept me off balance for the entire trip. I was in a bad way. Each night was a struggle to fend off panic attacks.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

The verse above had been displayed throughout my church in the weeks leading up to the tornado. I noticed the verse coming to mind often, and I felt there was a reason God was leading me back to it. The church even gave out a pocket card with the verse on it. I kept mine in my wallet.  God knew what was ahead, and He was about to teach me a lesson in trust.

The miracle of the lesson was not in its grandeur, but its simplicity. God reminded me over and over, despite my circumstances, that He is in complete control, all the time! I knew He didn’t simply ask me to trust, He commanded me! Rejecting fear and choosing faith was not a matter of preference, but obedience. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

God expected faith from me, and I could expect His care. Despite all this, there were still times I was anxious. But a quick look at my Joshua 1:9 verse card (kept in my wallet) brought me back to a childlike trust in the God who keeps His promises.