Fear not

Have you ever given much thought to the phrase "fear not"? Recently, I have thought about this over and over. While I was teaching the Christmas story to my students this year, I was drawn to the verse where the angels told the shepherds to fear not. Obviously, it was not a normal evening for the shepherds in the field when the angels appeared and announced Jesus's birth. I am sure that the shepherds were afraid and the words "fear not" were of comfort to them that evening.

When things don't happen as planned or expected, fear usually appears. I am not usually one to divulge weaknesses about myself, but fear is a very real thing that I deal with continually. Whether it is something silly, like coming in an empty house while it is dark or checking the bathtub for lizards, I am a big wuss. I have fears that don't even make sense, like a fear of falling and breaking my elbows, or a fear of having my armpits touched. Then I have bigger fears. Getting up in the middle of the night, staying home alone all night, speaking in public, failing. This list could go on and on. I even have unspeakable fears. Fears that I am so afraid of that I can't even speak them aloud, for fear that saying them would make them come true.

I don't want to live my life crippled with fears that keep me from doing all of the things I want to do in my life. So, as I prepare to get my New Year's Resolutions ready, this one tops my list. I am going to face fears this next year. Now I am not going to let people touch my armpits or fall down on purpose to see if my elbows don't break, but I am going to do some things that I have let fear keep me from. So stay tuned, I have some big things to face, and it is my goal to not let fear keep me from doing them all.