Putting Fear In Its Place
"...to face unafraid the plans that you've made..."
For a year I've had those eight words on my screen saver.
I almost always hum the next line, "walking in a winter wonderland." And although naturally linked to the quote, it has nothing to do with why I am drawn to this thought.
Nope.
Tucked in the lyrics of a popular Christmas tune is a reminder of how I want to face the world: unafraid.
The truth is, I don't have a ton of fear on the surface of any part of my life.
I practice saying Yes. I embrace the unknown. If/when I make a New Year resolution, it's one item long: try something new every day.
There are large swaths of courage in my life.
And yet, fear still creeps in, threatening to steal attention and energy. No plan or bucket of life is safe from its insidious nature.
PhysicalMental MaritalSpiritual VocationalFamily Friendship
All are threatened by insecurities, doubts, and worry.
Try as I may, I'm incapable of facing these fears alone. In fact, isolation is absolutely the worst possible environment for beating back fears.
The best? Community.
For me, that means having intentional friendships, allowing my quirks to be seen, and being in a community of people who not only know me well, but who are able to speak truth into my life. For me, that comes in form of spiritual circles - couples and women who invest in my marriage, family, and individual challenges. These groups pray for and with me, they ask tough questions, they encourage me to view myself as God views me, fully loved.
They help me to face unafraid the plans that I made...winter wonderland or not.
Who does that for you? How do you deal with the pull toward busyness and isolation? Who encourages you in the middle of the fears?
If there's one thing I'd crave for you, dear reader, it's that you would avoid the drift toward isolation.