Fear

“Fear wakes us up. Fear reminds us to fight. It’s only when we know fear that we ever understand the depth of our need for its opposite-love. Fear can either keep us standing in one place, or it can propel us toward something better.”- Hannah Brencher- Come Matter Here

Do you ever fear that your life is so good that something horrible is going to happen to you? Just this week our family was dealt heartbreaking news that cancer has found its way into our family yet again. I’m pretty sure everyone has had to deal with cancer, and it’s the worst thing ever. Some people have unexpected things happen to their families that are just down right terrible, and I just sit here and think it’s going to happen to me, my life is going to good. Fear can easily come up with a mind of its own and quickly take over every decision that you make if you let it. It cripples you. I have a lot of fears relating to so many things that I cannot control, that’s ultimately what fear comes from right, our lack of control? Fear for me is also another word for anxiety and worry. I am 100% terrified of flying, we have driven everywhere we go because I just cannot force myself to fly. I know its crazy and totally insane but its a crippling fear for me. I fear that when we are out in public places someone is going to take one of my kids, so it causes me to be short with them when they wonder a little far because of the fear of them being taken. I fear something happening to me and leaving my sweet girls without a mom. I fear public speaking. I fear people not liking me. I fear my body the mirror some days. I fear doing something like ziplining and something terrible happening, I fear the death of some our family members one day because it’s going to hurt beyond belief to lose them, which I am currently having to deal with now and it’s awful. The list goes on and on, it’s so easy to see how overwhelming all these fears can be and how they can very easily control your life.

I remember when I was little going to JcPennys or Dilliards with my mom hiding in the clothes and scaring her. I can’t even fathom letting my girls do that now. I do not want to parent my children out of fear, parenting out of fear is basically telling God, “You don’t have this and I can’t place all my trust in you.” When I parent them from fear I am at times irrational, quick to accuse, quick to anger and slow to show them grace. I want them to be brave and fearless to a degree, I want them to have this zest for life that I had when I was a kid. I don’t want my fears to suck the life out of them. I just got back from a girls trip not long ago and we went ziplining, and I was terrified but I made myself do it and it was such an incredible experience. I have come to realize that I cannot experience life the way God intended for me to if I am constantly letting my fears control my decisions. I believe that God lets us experience some fears because it brings us closer to Him. I don’t think that you ever truly just let go of fear and just go on, fear is always with you, you just have a way to better cope with it. Being close to God and more connected to Him makes dealing with your fears easier.

I firmly believe that there are things that happen in our lives that we will never fully understand and when those things happen we have to pray for peace. When things happen that we cannot understand it causes us to fear the unknown. Through these dark times we are brought to God in a way that makes us trust Him like never before. Hear me when I say this God does not make these horrible things happen, it is Satan; God is there to pull you out of it, to give you strength that you have never had, to love you and hold you through your pain. It is in these trials or valleys that the darkness and fear is so prevalent, but this is when you grab ahold of God and His word to guide you out and you will come out stronger than you ever imagined.

“Maybe life isn’t about avoiding the bruises, it’s about collecting the scars to prove we showed up for it.

We think that darkness like this could only be a punishment,

but maybe it’s the start of building something new”- Hannah Brencher-Come Matter Here

If you are letting fear lead your life, stop it and fight. Let God’s words guide you and lead you towards His light. You have to let go of your fears and trust and know that God has got you. No matter how deep in the valley you are He can guide you out. We are not meant to come out of this world completely unscathed, we all have our battles but having God be there to guide you through it all is the ultimate reward.

“God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause his face to shine upon us.”

Psalms 67:1

XOXO