Face your Fear

Fear is only an opportunity to grow ones faith… that is if you chose to challenge it.
So there I was, 11years old, hands griping on for dear life to the side of a rock, scared to even look over the edge of a 20ft cliff. I couldn’t breath, I remember Mama standing below and Mr. King walking about as if it were no big deal, “it’s not the high, you’ll be fine. Just climb back down.”
15years old and not even two feet out of the elevator atop The World Trade Center looking at the huge window over NYC, calling for Daddy to come rescue me. I could feel the building dancing in the wind. I don’t think I took even one breath the whole ride back down. The elevator door opened and I ran for a pillar three times my size and wrapped myself around it swearing I would NEVER go that high in the air again!
In my early 20’s I visited the Grand Canyon with my sister, we looked over the edge. I stood there looking at the miles below us, how beautiful are Gods creations!
A few years later I found myself climbing up 20ft ladders, standing on roofs to get a job done. I would stretch with one foot in the highest rung to get the paint in the corner, holding my breath of cores. Sure I was a little tense, but I did it.
Age 29, I hop on a plane with a man by the name of Dusty, we have known each other for almost a full 20 minutes, we strap some harnesses on and clip together. Standing on the edge of the plane’s door 13,000 feet in the air… I take some deep breaths; look all around, “3! 2! 1!” I hear Dusty yell, and down we go. About 100sum odd MPH, and you know what I felt? The air kissing my face, the wind dancing with me and the view… amazing! And not one ounce of fear. It was more like freedom! He pulls the chute and we start to simple float for a while in the air. It was the most amazing exhilarating thing I’ve ever done in my life… so far that is :-)

Betsy, the lady who runs the drop zone at Skydive AZ in Eloy Arizona, had these words to share with me when I landed. “You stared your own mortality in the face, took a leap, and lived. Now that you’ve done this, (sky dived) know that there is nothing in this life you can’t do. Nothing in the world you can’t face, no trial you can’t get thru. You can do anything girl!” Ya know what, I think she’s right. Paul says it in Philippians, “I can do all things thru Him who gives me strength.”

I know of a young lady who was assaulted earlier this year and has only recently made the decision to report it. You see, she knows the assailant and out of fear, for the last 8 months she has lived with this dark shadow over her, always looking offer her shoulder, afraid to be in a crowd, or go to the store alone, despite the best efforts of loved ones around her, it wasn’t until she was willing to challenge that fear and face reality that she was able to “function normal” again. It was this young ladies story that inspired me to face my own fears. (you’ll hear more about her in another blog)
Ladies it’s time to take the power away from what scares us.
Another friend of mine was telling me about her daughter’s fear of the boogie man. She had watched Monsters Inc. and going to bed that night she insisted that there was a boogie man under her bed and a big blue monster in her closet. So mom standing at the door, with daughter warped around her leg, dad heads in with a flashlight, looks in the closest and shines the light around, looks under the bed and aside from the dust bunnies, nothing hiding under there. Wide eyed little girl climbs into bed with dad standing guard, a kiss goodnight and it’s off to dream land. She faced her fears with Daddy by her side, and a flashlight.
My sisters, there are boogie men out there, I won’t lie to you. If you jump out of a plane without a chute, you’re not brave, you’re a dead dummy. Walking by yourself in a dark parking lot is not the wisest decision either, but never leaving your home or not taking a risk here or there will turn you into the scary bird lady who lives on the corner and eats little children and cats. Well that’s what the neighborhood kids will think, until they are willing to challenge their own fear and discover you’re just a lonely lady who’s scared of your shadow. (Ok, that’s s bit extreme, but you get the idea) Here’s what I’m trying to say, “Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself”: (FDR’s First Inaugural Address). Fear will prevent you from some amazing moments in life, keep you from destiny and could even kill you. It causes regret and spite and can’t be that good for your heart either. Fear will stop you, not protect you. It’s time to take that power away from our fears and turn it into trust we put in God. Yes, God! In Psalms 91 it talks about how God is our protector.
Or in Ezekiel he is JEHOVA-SHAMMAH (the LORD is There)
He IS ABHIR: 'Mighty One', ("to be strong") Gen. 49:24; Deut. 10:17; Psa. 132:2, 5; Isa. 1:24, 49:26, 60:1.
He IS our MAGEN: "Shield" Psa. 3:3, 18:30.

I am going to tell you something friends, I have seen a few things in my short 29 years, and still have A LOT to learn over the next 29+ years, I have met some people from all around the world and have some stories of my own, and here’s what I know thus far about life. I have no clue, no idea how to survive without Christ. Yes, bad things happen to good people. No, we really don’t have control. Not everyone wants the best for you. I don’t believe in fate? People will lie to get what they want. Integrity is a hard virtue to find in people these days. Good people do exist. And peanut butter with dawn dish soap will get gum out of your hair. Yeah, there are a few more lesions I’ve learned but these fit with this Blog. My friend the Garden Lady says this; “Walk as thou you are, so that you will be.” for the young lady who was assaulted it means to walk tall. For the little girl afraid of the boogie man it means trusting her daddy when he says there’s no monster under the bed. And for me, it means to take my fear (of highs in this story) stare it down and life free!
Take the power back sisters! Turn your fear into trust and live free!
What’s next for me? Scuba diving!