This week I noticed the faint presence of something prevailing and looming over me. It was with me as I began planning my fall break trip to Greece and accompanied itself on the entire trip as well. It was not invited, but rather imposed itself upon me. As I said before, this presence was faint yet, waited for the opportunity to present itself boldly for it was not shy-merely cleaver. It hovered behind me in the background almost always tapping me on my shoulder to remind me that it had not gone anywhere and hadn’t intended on leaving, ever.
I could feel those cold hard taps and if I ever assumed t it left it didn’t hesitate to speak up to let me know that it didn’t go anywhere. Soon I began to feel comfortable with it being there, but came to my senses and realized it could not stay. How could I make this go away? I grew annoyed by the ever presence and remembered who I belonged to and that I could overcome and get rid of this thing. Not of course by any power of my own, but by He who dwells in me. Thus, I finally I turned to face it and when I did it looked dead in my face rudely interrupting and speaking louder than before. It’s as if it knew that if I got any word in it would be defeated. It did not wait for me to reply because it didn’t want to hear anything I had to say. It came only to give.
When I asked “who are you” it said with a smile “I am Fear.” I have come to give and I do so generously. As soon as I heard the name, I realized that I knew what it was all a long, but couldn’t call it by name until I stopped and confronted it. A mere “go away” didn’t not work nor did a stern “leave me alone!” I realized I had to use my weapon; the word. As I made plans for my trip it said “don’t go there…what if the plane crashes and you die?
When I we got to Athens it said “What if someone robs you and takes everything you have?
When sleeping in the foreign hostel it said “Someone might come into your room while you are sleeping and hurt you”
When we got on a ferry to go to Santorini it said “Remember the movie Titanic? Well, boats still sink”’
When I wanted to rent a 4 wheeler while on the island it said: “Haven’t you heard? These things crash all the time. Don’t you remember that guy who was on the news and was paralyzed because he flipped backwards off of it and it landed on top of him. “what if you drive off of that cliff?”
What if when you jump in that water you get eaten by a shark or stung by a jelly fish, what if you drown! What if what if what if! Maybe you should have just stayed home. You will be safer if you don’t take any risks.
Such a negative nagging presence it was and although there might have been some validity to its words, I had the choice of allowing them to keep me from enjoying my time, to keep me from enjoying life.
Thus whenever fear came nagging, I didn’t simple ignore it, but confronted it with scriptures like Psalm 91 “He that dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty”
1 John 4:18 there is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not perfect in love.
Psalm 34:4,7 I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all of my fears. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and he delivers them.
Rather than let fear linger and mingle, I prayed and pictured myself being held in his arms or his angels surrounding and protecting me.
I’m not saying tragedies are avoidable and troubles won’t occur in life, but the bottom line is we cannot allow fear to hinder us from living life to the fullest and accomplishing our dreams.
So whenever fear presents itself to you by saying:
Don’t reach to high in life because you might fail
Don’t apply for that job because you might not be qualified
Don’t take chances because you might fall
What if you lose, what if, what if what if?
Look fear dead in its face and show it whose boss, by proclaiming, I can do All things through Christ who strengthens me!
What will you do the next time fear follows you?
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