If you can face your fear, if you can feel the fear and do it anyway, if you can recognize fear as false evidence appearing real, then you’re on the right road to conquering it. Fear has a way of sneaking around the corner when you least expect it. I don’t mind flying, but I very much fear dying in a plane crash because: a) I want to be in my children’s lives (even though I do believe I am in God’s will, regardless); and b) I can’t imagine experiencing plane-crash horror trauma.
I realized the other day when I made flight arrangements that I hadn’t flown in quite some time and that I dread taking the risk. But understanding the remote potentiality of my worse nightmare coming true is actually fear of living and I DO want to live all the days of my remaining life (you feel that way even more clearly as you age). Now, I’m very excited about my upcoming trip for a host of great reasons, and that probably explains why even so, I spent hours figuring out how to reduce my flight time, get a direct flight, at the best time of day (when the pilots would be awake or less likely to be under the influence of alcohol – ha!), for the best price available. I did choose to go with a lesser-known carrier and that little fact could gnaw its way into some pretty big worry beads if I let it. Sometimes confronting our fear is like confronting a bull, where you simply feel you cannot do it!
When fear over internal events (like esteem or embarrassing oneself) is greater than fear of external events (airplane crashes or crossing a black cat) then it takes more time, more effort and more concentration to consciously overcome. We can rationalize the external as being ridiculous, however the internal fears can grow to be very dark demons. We don’t even want to broadcast our internal fears, we hide them, we hope no one will notice, and in doing this, we allow the internal fears to grow, to live, to breathe. We all must work to actively negate the fears that hold us back in living an abundant life.
So I’ll be getting on the plane, and I’ll be praying that if the Lord takes me, that he’ll keep my (fearful) soul. And when I’m on floating between clouds, I’ll be (false) smiling at my neighbor in the seat next to me and silently sending myself positive affirmations….I mean it IS only two hours for the love of God. And for that greater fear of not being present for my children, then I have no other choice but to trust and let. go. OR not. to. go. at. all. Remember, life isn’t meant to be lived in fear, so “Be Wholly You“.
Image Artwork Credit: http://caseytoussaint.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/chickens-and-grapes/
