Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Do not be afraid



We live in a scary world and everyone has fears.  It starts out when we are very young, with fear of strangers (who end up being family members), the dark and being away from our parents.  And about the time we recognize that the dark can't harm us and we can survive apart from our parents, new fears emerge.

Most common theme in Bible
Is it any surprise that the most common theme in the Bible centers around fear..."Fear Not", "Do not be Afraid", etc.

Yet we are afraid.  Of so many things.  Fear is not a rational presence in our life.  And my fear is not your fear.

Growing up I was afraid of storms, new situations and strange dogs.  There was a neighborhood bully that I crossed streets and cut through yards to avoid.  I was afraid of being alone in the house.

As I got older, I "out grew" some of the fears....and some I did not.  But as many times as I conquered fear, a new fear would arise.

Until I moved to Texas I was afraid to fly.  For many years I could manage this fear by recognizing it and committing to not letting my fear interfere with my life.  I would white-knuckle the trip and breath a sigh of relief when we were back on the ground  But I reached a point where it was threatening to overpower me.  I began postponing trips or driving long distances instead of flying.  Marissa was in high school then and I remember she gave me three pages of hand-written bible verses to carry with me (which I still have) and refer to when I began to feel anxious. 

And by the way, there was nothing magical about my move to Texas that first diminished and then removed my fear of flying, it was the frequency in which I had to fly (weekly and sometimes more than weekly) that eventually wore my fear down.

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a healthy fear and I still have fears.  They are different and every evolving.  But now I just deal with them differently.

A little education and a lot of prayer, go a long way.

Until next time,
#ALWAYSAFRAIDOFMICE
#RATIONALFEAR

your pal,
Kari













No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks (in) Giving Giving (in) Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving.  Almost considered a designated time of year, we all like to gather as a family in a variety of celebrations  (sometim...

Never a dull moment; Look past the water stains; This is out of order, there is no coincidence