“It’s time to wake up and get ready for school! Remember, you are on duty today and you can’t be late!” Hearing my mom’s shouting, I unwillingly opened my eyes and struggled to get out of my nice, warm bed. It was winter time and still dark outside, and I certainly did not feel like getting out of bed to go to school. But there was another reason I wanted to stay in bed – I had heard that some hooligans around our school were harassing many of the students walking to and from school. Though I hadn’t met them yet, it was still terrifying just to think about it.

My mom eventually dragged me out of bed and after breakfast, I walked to school, alone as usual. What was different was that before leaving home, I put thirty yuan (about $5) in the pocket of my pants so I could buy textbooks for the next semester, and this made me even more anxious. There were a few people on the street at that time even though the sun hadn’t come up yet. But in the distance, I could see the sky getting brighter and the temperature getting warmer as I walked toward school. After a while, I reached the narrow alley, a short-cut that I usually took to get to school. “Yep!” I said to myself, “There is nothing to be frightened about!.” And then, I started walking down the alley.

The sun hadn’t appeared yet, and so the alley was still a little bit dark, and nobody else was there. As I started walking down the alley, I saw two teenage boys who had suddenly appeared “out of nowhere.” I felt fearful and was about to turn around and leave, but it was too late as other boys came from behind me. I immediately realized that I was surrounded. They were wearing outlandish clothes and had strange haircuts which were dyed red, orange, and brown. Then I knew that I had finally met the hooligans. “Oh no!” I said to myself, “The worst is still to come!”

“Hello, little student,” the leader said as he walked closer with a threatening voice, “Do you have some money that you would like to share with us? We know you do. Give us the money, quickly!” I was so frightened that I took a step back and unconsciously put my hands into the pockets of my winter coat. I could feel my legs shaking and I spoke in a frightened, weak voice, “Sorry, but I don’t have any money.” I knew that I couldn’t give them the thirty yuan in the pocket of my pants. The boys looked at me suspiciously, and as they got closer, they began staring at the pockets of my coat where I had put my hands. 

Then I remembered what my mother had always said to me when facing a difficult situation: “Don’t panic! Calm down and think of a solution!” I just knew that I couldn’t give them the money for my new textbooks. Then, while trying to think of a solution, I noticed that their eyes were focused on the pockets of my winter coat, right where I had put my hands when they first surrounded me. That’s when I knew my way of escape.

I immediately understood why they were looking at my pockets, as they thought that I had some money in there. I said, “I don’t have much, but just a little bit of money.” Inside one of my coat pockets, I could feel one paper bill, just one yuan (about 15 cents) that I always kept with me just in case I needed it. When I pulled it out and showed them, the hooligans believed that this was all I had, and so they took the money and quickly left, leaving me with the words “Remember to bring more money next time, little girl!” 

As I stood there feeling such relief, I sighed secretly to myself being grateful that they thought that I was only trying to protect the one yuan, not the other thirty that I had in the pocket of my pants. My nightmare had finally ended, and then I continued on my way to school. The sun had already risen, and I felt much warmer, not only in body, but also in my heart.

That was the day I first understood my mom’s words “Don’t panic! Calm down and think up a solution!” We will all meet difficulties and dangers in our lives. If we feel scared or terrified, and don’t begin to think of solutions to overcome the situation, we will easily be defeated by the difficulties. Being calm helps us analyze our difficulties in order to find one or more solutions to help us make wise decisions that will lead us out of trouble. Since the day I met the hooligans in the alley, I have always kept those words from my mother in my mind, “Don’t panic! Calm down and think up a solution.”

Additional Comments – I goes without saying that there have been times in each of our lives when we have all felt surrounded by trials and seemingly insurmountable difficulties. Not knowing which way to turn, we sometimes feel that we have entered a traffic circle with no exit in sight. We feel trapped, confined, and doomed to traveling the same road that leads to nowhere.

I suspect that we are all familiar with the Old Testament story of Moses as he led the children of Israel out of Egypt where they had served as slaves for over 400 years. If you recall, God unleashed ten plagues that devastated the land and brought pain and suffering to the Egyptians, and then after the final plague which took the life of the first-born in Egypt, Pharaoh let the Israelites leave. All was going “according to plan” for the Israelites until Pharaoh changed his mind and began to pursue them. Suddenly, the Israelites found themselves trapped in a cul-de-sac, hemmed in by mountains on either side, the approaching Egyptian army behind them, and the sea in front of them. They were trapped, surrounded on all sides with nowhere to turn!

Moses knew that God would not lead them this far only for them to be destroyed by the Egyptians who had just let them go. So, Moses cried out to God for deliverance, and proceeded to tell the Israelites: “Don’t fear (don’t panic); stop complaining; and stand firm and see the deliverance God will provide for them” (Exodus 14:13-14). Moses was confident in God’s provision for them. 

And then, God commanded Moses, “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide the water so that the Israelites can go through on dry ground” (Exodus 14:16). As Moses stretched out his hands, God caused a strong east wind to blow all night, not only parting the waters, but also drying out the land upon which the Israelites would escape. And you know the rest of the story – the Israelites passed through the sea on dry ground, and once on the other side, Moses raised his staff again and the waters returned, drowning the Egyptians who had followed after them. God provided a way of escape, just as He promised, when they were surrounded on all sides with nowhere to turn.   

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He told His disciples not to be afraid, which is the first and most natural of responses to danger. My student remembered her mother’s words, “Don’t Panic!” The words of David in Psalm 27:1-2 are instructive for all of us, “The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” 

Furthermore, the Bible also tells us that “If anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God, and it will be given to him generously” (James 1:5). Like my student in the alley, I believe that God was both gracious and generous to her, giving her the right words and responses to provide a way of escape from the hooligans. The Bible also tells us that “…trials (and temptations) come to all of us, and yet, in every trial (or temptation), God is faithful to provide a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Do you feel trapped in a cul-de-sac of impossible situations? Surrounded by trials? You don’t need to be afraid. You can ask God for wisdom and then simply trust Him to provide a way of escape. He is faithful. He will do it. Just ask Him! And then “stand back” and watch Him work.