Before you call . . .
Dick and I are reading through the Psalms – one each day – and this morning Psalm 53 was scheduled. The way we walk through this regular time together with the Lord is this: Dick reads a commentary overview of the designated psalm, I read the psalm in one translation while he is viewing another translation, we compare any word differences that might have stood out to us, and then Dick reads the accompanying devotional from a book we are going through together, In the Lord I Take Refuge by Dane Ortlund. For those of you who have studied the psalms, you know the vast array of topics (from lament to praise, from historical to imprecatory), authors (David, Moses, Sons of Korah, etc.) and time periods (the psalms span over a potential 1000 year time period). Taking a big-picture view, it truly is amazing how applicable the psalms are to us today, living in 2026.
This morning as I read the 6 verses of Psalm 53, one sentence stopped me in my tracks. Here it is:
“There they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread.” (Psalm 53:5a, NIV)
Or in another translation:
“There they are, in great terror, where there is no terror.” (Psalm 53:5a, ESV)
Does that resonate with you like it does for me? How many times . . . how MANY times have I been overwhelmed with dread or in great terror over something that ultimately was shown as “nothing to dread”? Dick and I unpacked that this morning recounting times in our marriage when we dreaded a tax bill (oh, the joys of being self-employed for many years and having to trust God implicitly every April 15), or had something unforeseen come up with one of our daughters that drew us to a place of worry or concern. And of course, on December 4, 2025 when we heard the words “ovarian cancer”, our tendency was to step into the big, bad world of dread and terror.
Not to oversimplify this . . . but when you think about it, God doesn’t give us any exceptions when it comes to trusting Him. What I mean is, He doesn’t say, “Hey Mel, trust me, don’t be afraid, UNLESS _____________ comes across your path. And then, yeah, I get it, you might want to be a little fearful.” Sounds silly, but there is literally not one circumstance that could go into that blank space.
Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”
On the third night I was in the hospital, I woke up in the 1:00-2:00 a.m. range unable to go back to sleep. Laying there with all of the beeping monitors and the only comfort being my resting husband in a cot across the room, I began to think through 3 things I had been told would happen in the next 12 hours: A blood draw in the middle of the night (see earlier post on my love for these), the withdrawal of the catheter which had been in place since surgery, and the removal of the surgical dressing over my 10 inch incision. I would have to say that none of these three events were high on my list of things I was looking forward to! But let me briefly share how this verse in Psalm 53 was illuminated in each one of these experiences.
First of all, the blood draw. I mentioned in an earlier post that having my blood drawn in the middle of the night could be traumatic at times. The lights suddenly come on waking you from any possible sleep you might be getting. The tech person searches for a strong vein to use (and often, that vein is in a lesser desirable place like your hand, wrist, or outside area of your arm). Before we had gone to sleep on this particular night, I heard Dick speaking with Kelsey, our younger daughter, and telling her mom is dreading the blood draw. Kelsey promised to pray for me, specifically about that. During the overnight hours, the Lord woke Kelsey (who is a mother of 6, and generally sleeps well through the night), and she was led to pray very intentionally for the overnight blood draw that would be upcoming.
When the tech person ultimately came in, she gently informed me that because of all the previous sticks, she would need to use a vein in my hand. Reluctantly, I reached it out, turned my head the opposite direction, and waited. After about a minute, she said, “Okay, all done”. And I realized I never felt one thing! Not a stick, not a pull, not anything uncomfortable. Nothing!
“There they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread.” (Psalm 53:5a, NIV)
Event #2 happened a few hours later, once the sun had come up. Not to be too graphic, but I’ve never had a catheter, didn’t feel it when it was put in (I was under anesthesia), and definitely wasn’t looking forward to it being taken out. Our daughter, Whitney, was with me that day, and because of her nursing experience, she was able to say, “Mom, this really isn’t a big deal. You will barely feel anything.” And she was absolutely right. When the time came, it was quick, easy, and not even uncomfortable.
“There they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread.” (Psalm 53:5a, NIV)
The final incident was to remove the bandaging over a very large incision on my chest/abdomen. Let me say, at this point I hadn’t even had the courage to look down and view this area. It had been hidden under my hospital gown, and just glancing at it was more than I could handle, only a few days post-surgery. The thought of someone taking off the adhesive – even as gently as they might try to be – was unsettling at best. More prayer. More anticipation.
And you can probably guess the ending to this story, like the first two. One of the Surgical Residents came to my room, and first, she assured me this wouldn’t be a difficult process. Her caring, encouraging demeanor added to the peace and calmness I began to feel. When the time came, as I held Dick’s hand on one side of the bed and Whitney’s on the other, the dressing was effortlessly removed within seconds.
So once again . . .
“There they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread.” (Psalm 53:5a, NIV)
Let me close this with another scripture that underscores the reasons we should never find ourselves in these dark, desolate places. Whatever our situation, God has already prepared a way.
“Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24)
Can you see how the Lord already knew, and had already answered my desperate prayers to endure these medical procedures? Though I was walking towards the unknown (to me), none of this was a mystery to Him. Not even close.
So, what is a lesson from this?
God knows every detail of what we will face before we face it. And there is never a time we should camp out in a place of dread or terror or fear.
As always, I’m preaching to myself. But I hope this also speaks to any of you who read these words.
A worship song that resonates with me every time I hear it is, “You’ve Already Won”. I’ll close with the chorus lyric:
I’m fighting a battle You’ve already won
No matter what comes my way, I will overcome
Don’t know what you’re doing, but I know what you’ve done
I’m fighting a battle You’ve already won
15 Comments
Becky Eaker
Hallelujah!!! Ooooh, how i could have written this myself. Thank you, Mel. Love you!
Teresa Zellers
Any chance you could put all your journal posts in a book? They are so encouraging. Continued prayers for you as you recover. 🙏🏻💕
Jackie Evans
This post blesses me so much hearing how God has walked before you to take away the pain in these procedures.
The song you mentioned is one I have tried to remember from my praise team last Sunday, but it would just never enter my mind. God knew I needed to hear that again and you posted it for me. Thank you so much. Still praying.🙏🙏
Beth Simonds
Exodus 14:14 “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” (NIV). I love how the Lord fought for you as you laid still while medical personnel performed at their best. You have amazed us all with your honesty and pure faith as you have shared with us. So often I can handle any of those things one at a time, but when it comes in a wave of 3 it seems like a tsunami instead of a gentle wave. Prayers as God continues to heal you and gives you strength.
Kay Wells
Mel, we are diligently praying for you for God’s blessings and full and complete healing. But we want you to know that (in your pain and discomfort and times of anguish) we look forward to your posts. They are such a blessing to us and uplifting. Thank you for sharing your heart and how y’all are dealing with this. God is blessing many people through your trials. We love y’all.
Sue Moser
So so good, Mel. And grateful for every step of the way that God is taking you by the hand and leading you so lovingly. I think of you and pray for you often. Love you so much!
Cristy Ludwig
Very powerful words Mel. The verses were ones I definitely needed to hear. Praying for you and Dick every day. 💛
Peggy Hughes
Mel,
I know you’re better because you are writing again! You are so right that we can get worked up over things that never happen. We pray that God will see you through all of this to a better day and a recovered completely body. We love you!💗
Tere Gardner
So beautiful and encouraging Mel. Nothing is a surprise to our Father. He is always with us and carrying us through the valley’s of life. Thank you for these scriptures. I tend to always look over my shoulder worrying about my husband’s health even though we’ve experienced two miracles and then you posted that powerful scripture that spoke profoundly to me. Thank you Mel. Ben and I pray for you and Dick daily for comfort and complete healing. You are a beautiful, amazing and strong woman! So thankful you and Dick have each other❤️What a good God we serve. God is certainly in the details of our lives!!! Thank you for sharing!
Love,
Tere & Ben
Nancy Anders
Thank you, Mel, for your writings, especially in the midst of recovery!!! I feel sure all who are reading all of these, like this one, are so touched. It definitly touched me. You are so loved and I pray for you and Dick every day as I feel sure so many are doing the same🙌 May we hold on Ps 53:5 ❤️
Hugs and love~Ps 139:5
Alice Kay Sasser
God has Blessed you. Prayer is amazing! And you have been Blessed with good nurses.
Thoughts and Prayers are with yall.
Marty Funderburk
Mel…thank you for sharing these very practical experiences with us. We will all most certainly need to draw upon your hard-won pearls of wisdom at some point in our journey – so God is using you and will continue to use you for years to come! Know you are loved and prayed for…rest and recover fully 🙏
Karla Strawser
WOW!! You will never know how timely this is for me with something I am going through! My family can tell you the I can make all sorts of things up in my head. Things to worry about and be anxious about. What does that say about my trust in the Lord? It can be embarrassing to say the least. I’m taking a discipleship class right now and it’s all about leaning into the Lord in ALL things. Your post today is yet another reminder to do that. He goes before us and as you have said, is not surprised by anything. Thank you Mel for this post (and all of your posts because they minister to me so much). Such a great reminder of the Goodness of God. Sending love and hugs to you today. Praying each day is better than the day before.
Dominique Clark
Hi Ms. Tunney! This is Dominique, Kelsey’s friend and roommate from Wheaton. I just logged into Facebook for the first time in awhile and saw the updates about what you’ve been walking through. I started reading your blog. I’m so moved by your perspective and strength – and also seeing how Mr. Tunney is walking with you. Please know that you will be in my family’s prayers. I’ve always looked up to you for your consistent faith and compassion. I will never forget the words you spoke to me during my engagement to Trey that gave me such hope that I could have a stronger marriage than my parents did – which has come to pass over the last 16 years of our marriage thanks to God’s grace. I hope you feel all the support and love that we all have for you! Thank you for sharing your journey.
With much love and respect,
Dom
Jean Coppenbarger
What an inspirational post and reminder that He’s already won our battles! So glad the dreaded post-surgical procedures went well. Love you, Sweet Friend!