Fear: an unpleasant emotion caused by the brief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat.
I believe that we all come to Earth as a blank canvas and we learn and adapt different things based on experience and the people around us. Fear is one of those things that we learn over time. Each person has a fear, whether it's physical, mental, or spiritual. We are encouraged to have faith when we come toe to toe with our fears. Most of us have had the joy of conquering certain fears, but what if you don't? What if your fear takes over and you "miss your chance" to overcome your fear? What happens then?
I had an incredible experience of coming face to face with my fear while helping out at Girl's Camp a few days ago. For those of you that don't know, I have a horrible fear of heights. I never liked the idea of not being in control of what my body is doing and the feeling of falling freaked me out, so cliff jumping and roller coasters were always out of the question (except climbing, i love that). Anyways, I was helping out the younger girls with the ropes course when we got to the zip line activity. My body became more stiff as I saw how high up we were and the only thing protecting me was a line hanging from a tree. I got quieter because I didn't want to draw attention to the fact that I was scared, but my fear was quickly exposed and before i knew it, friends were encouraging me to go. This one sweet girl was just as scared as I was and I realized this could be a possibility to help her. I told her I would go if she did, so she went. She was waiting for me to go, but I couldn't do it. My friend's dad encouraged me to have faith and believe, but i was so focused on the fact that nobody was physically next to me so I didn't feel safe. It was interesting to see the character of those around me as well. Those that were patient and understanding of my fear. Long story short, I didn't end up doing it and instead of feeling a wave of disappointment, I felt a wave of love and experience. It had been a while since I have felt fear and a really long time since i've felt a lack of faith. On the ride back to the main campsite, Two of the girls volunteering as leaders expressed that they felt more comfortable telling me about their fears because they saw mine first hand. It was amazing to immediately activate my spiritual gifts to help them through different things. When I saw that young camper, she eagerly asked me if I did the zip line. I had to look her in the eye and tell her i didn't do it. It was such a humbling experience. There was immediate love and acceptance, instead of disappointment. Later that night I ended up using my gift of dance to bring the spirit to the girls. Life continued on and instead of dwelling on my failure, God helped me see my strengths.
Good people, Fear is so different for each person. Don't ever feel embarrassed when you don't conquer your fear immediately. There are always opportunities to share your light and goodness and with time and practice, we will get over those life blocks. Faith is something that is nurtured and it grows from experience. I want to invite each of you to identify different fears within yourself and make plans to face them and if you don't get over it right away, that's ok. It's good to know where your limit is and stretch it every day using God's help. I love each of you to the moon and back. Remember that God didn't create the world in a day so don't feel like you have to either.
*PS: I went on the 3 oldest wooden roller coaster in the US a week ago :)*
