~ by Terry Walters
Psalm 27:1-3, 56:3
I was only seven years old when I started delivering newspapers.
I did it for four years.
It was an afternoon route, just 35 to 40 houses
in a small town in Illinois in the 1960s.
I delivered mostly to people I knew.
It was a safe time and place to grow up.
However, the morning paper and the afternoon paper were combined
on Saturdays and Sundays into one morning paper,
and it was my route that would deliver it, though in the mornings.
In the winter half of the year, it was still dark at delivery time.
It was quite a challenge for a young boy to go around town alone in the dark.
Lots of shadows from moonlight, streetlights, and porch lights.
The wind in the trees made strange noises.
The quiet neighborhood surroundings enhanced any noise.
A young mind with a vivid imagination can play lots of tricks.
My dad is a whistler and he taught me that whistling
can take your mind off things, calm you down,
and even provide some background noise to cover the strange noises.
I learned a good Bible verse in church and probably quoted it
a million times during those scary, early mornings.
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” Psalm 56:3.
It got me through the wee hours time and time again.
Today, when something challenges my peace
or tries to cause doubts and fears,
I whistle or sing - I pray -
I remember that verse - I trust Jesus. How about you?
Prayer: Father, we know that the spirit of fear did not come from You.
Help us know that You are always in us
and around us and have our best interest at heart.
Thank You for guidance and protection.
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