Fear
Why are you afraid?
What are you afraid of? What “haunts” you?
When I was a little girl, I was terrified of getting sucked into the escalator. Yes, it’s silly, but I was sure I’d get stuck if I didn’t hop off in time.
Why was I afraid of that?
Maybe I’m afraid of pain. Maybe I’m afraid of unknowns. Maybe I don’t want to fall on my face and embarrass myself.
I think fear can feel like riding an escalator. Once we get on, it’s hard to stop. It’s hard to control.
There have been seasons where I’ve awoken in the middle of the night with fears swirling in my head. Will the baby be ok? What will this person think of me? How am I supposed to apologize to this person?
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I also fear the ocean. The powerful waves and the rushing tides.
The disciples were also afraid of the winds and the sea. But Jesus didn’t respond to their fears with a statement; he asked a question. “He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm” (Matthew 8:26 NASB)
Why am I afraid?
Like the disciples, I tend to have little faith. I can doubt God’s promises. I can doubt His character. I can doubt His power. Yes, there may be storms, but we have a Savior who controls the winds and the seas. We don’t have to fear the waves.
This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series.
PS: Here’s a clip of the waves!
“But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand;”
Psalms 31:14-15a:
PS: Check out the Marriage & Motherhood Series Here!
"I think fear can feel like riding an escalator. Once we get on, it’s hard to stop. It’s hard to control."
This is a very familiar feeling to me. I've gotten better at dealing with fear in more recent years, but it's not easy. And yes, I was always afraid escalators would swallow me up as a kid, too!
I feel like this is a really helpful way to examine all our fears. Thank you!