Fear.
Yesterday I saw a snake that was the length of 1/2 the width of my driveway. So I guess, 4 feet. 5 feet? It actually is the longest snake I have seen on the property. The Copperhead I killed a couple of years ago may have been that long but I only saw the length of what was leftover from my mower.
The Copperhead
I am afraid of snakes.
But with prayer, I am overcoming that fear little by little. Actually baby steps. We were in a car, thank goodness, and we were driving down to the lower pasture. On the way back up I asked my precious friend to drop me off at the bottom of my drive so that I could walk back up to more or less face the fear. Otherwise, I would simply want to avoid that area because that snake would forever be sitting there. Wrong. Believe me, I said a prayer on the way up that Mr. Snake had found his way on down the road.
I have a fear of many other things too.
I have a fear of all forms of transportation and those that are driving them. Even fair rides. Especially fair rides. Cars. Planes. Boats. I just KNOW one of those is going to get me.
I fear that if I share my opinion in company of opposition, they will not like me or want to hurt me. Rejection.
I fear saying no when I really want to.
I fear confrontation. I want to flee.
I fear success. What will people expect of me then?
I fear poverty.
I fear love sometimes. I have to be vulnerable to love and be loved. That is a hard one for me.
Among many other crazy things.
Do you have any fears?
My fear is manifested in ways that I would never guess fear would be the root. Anger. Irritability. Impatience. Unkindness. Unloving behavior all around. Untrustworthiness. (Even I know that is not a word. Hang with me here. ) Suspicion. Paranoia. Hate. There can be all kinds of nastiness coming from this soul.
I have found that when I pray for my fear(s) to be removed, it is replaced with love. Did you know that we can’t receive love when we are fearful? That fear has to be disarmed to receive love? I find for myself, I am really good at shutting the world out when I am afraid. It is SOO powerful. Seems so silly, doesn’t it?
Snakes are not a biggy. (eek. Well..) Having them around doesn’t change the course of my life …too much. Maybe the course of my walk but not in the big picture of life. I knew what I was in for here with the snakes and I figured I better accept it or it just didn’t make sense to move here. We are at the end of the earth where they have all bunched up in a corner. JUST KIDDING! But I do have to be aware of them. Why, I am not quite sure. They are doing us a service.
But the other fears ARE life changers. Life stoppers. Life inhibitors. Life suckers. Of my life and those around me. That worries me. I want to be a light in the eyes of others, not a downer.
God does remove fears of mine. I have so many less fears in my heart than I use to. I have so much more love in my heart than I used to. So it only stands to reason that one is replaced with the other. I have a long way to go but it is a start. Thank goodness I still have time. Maybe. Hopefully.
Mr. Shady (Character) found a 5 or 6 foot long snake down by my garden. Oh my. So I have decided that if I see him (which Pops has already too, so I know he hasn’t moved on) I am going to invite him to live in my garden and take care of those nasty rodents. Fear replaced by love. So it can even be effective in trivial matters that aren’t life suckers!
Also, removing fear from my life allows me time to look up at the awesomeness of life.
God love y’all.
Karen
The Shieling 