I'm an acknowledged but unwilling expert on fear.
All my life, it's seems I've been afraid of something. I'm not proud to admit it, but I'm at a point in my life where I'd rather tell the truth than pretend to be something I'm not.
And I'm definitely not brave.
When I was little, I was afraid of the dark. I was afraid of going to school. I was afraid of playing sports. I was afraid of speaking in front of the class.
I was afraid of seemingly everything. Having a chronic childhood illness like Ulcerative Colitis didn't help. My fears were stoked by outside forces seemingly beyond my control, which sometimes led to worry and stress, which in turn led to UC attacks.
As I got older, my fears matured from childish to adolescent to the current older adult ones currently in my position.
Today, I have to regularly give my laundry list of fears over to my Father in Heaven so that I will be forced to leave them alone.
I look at the world today, and I see fear running rampant. In my city, state, and country, I shudder at how much fear has taken hold.
I see politicians from one party and mostly from one race interfering with my right to vote because they are afraid that their party will win, and with them, more people that look like me.
I see people afraid of taking a vaccination meant to stave off a deadly disease because they fear that the vaccine will do more harm than good, and they fear being controlled.
I see people so afraid with people who don't look like them, have the same faith as them, or love the same as them act and speak with hatred and bitterness.
I can't sit in judgement of people because of fear. I understand how difficult it is to live with fear.
I fear what certain political parties will do to stay in power.
I fear what some people, particularly in law enforcement, will do to me if I were to run afoul of them at the wrong place and time.
I'm afraid, but I'm going to keep living.
I'm going to keep praying and trusting in someone beyond my puny capabilities, believing that He will make all things work together for my good.
I'm going to keep working to make my little patch of ground better than I found it.
Shutting myself in my house and never leaving is not an option.
Hating people instead of loving them is not an option.
Keeping silent or writing about meaningless things is not an option.
The only option any of us have is to remain grounded and rooted in love.
Somewhere it is written that love displaces fear.
I believe that to be true.
How about you?
Love this!