Is fear making me live small? 4 min read by Megan
I have a confession. I have 2 of the most bizarre fears you’ve probably ever heard of. They’re not normal like spiders or heights. They’re not common like flying or public speaking or 100% polyester.
And one of them especially isn’t even logical.
I’ve never heard of anyone else having these phobias, SO should you happen to be my rare phobia soul-mate, please pipe up! Ready? (deep breath)
I have a fear of:
1. Restaurants Attached to Gas Stations.
It’s weird. I get it, but in my head, there’s mixing going on. And I want no part of it. During our countless road trips, family vacations, back and forths to college and many o’ youth ministry bus rides, I packed a lot of snacks. I am the queen of being able to eat healthy on the go.
My biggest conquest? Packing 8 complete days of food, ie 24 eat-on-the-go-meals into a single suitcase. Twice.
Because I refuse to let food allergies make me live small. Say yes to missions trips and travel.
It can be done.
Perhaps, you completely empathize with my gas station/restaurant phobia. However, I feel my second fear may divide us.
2. Things sticking out of Things.
Let me explain. I’ll provide a visual; A Visual that gave me a legitimate gag reflex as I snapped the pic at Trader Joes.
The things I do for you people.
Exhibit A: #Ew
I. can’t. even.
Basically, it’s any type of object which protrudes out of another object. Eyes on Potatoes? I’m a goner. Sticking cloves into an orange as a decoration? What kind of monster are you?
And don’t even get me started on the soap with all the little coffee beans and random bumps just lurching out at you.
Let’s just say I leave a very wide gap between me and the LUSH counter at the mall. I can’t explain it. Please don’t make me touch it. It makes my skin crawl, my head spin, and my stomach flip. End Rant.
There. It’s out. The two things that really wig me out in life.
In all seriousness, like many of us, I’ve also had much deeper struggles with fear and its good friend insecurity. Fears that don’t have anything to do with Lush or Gas Stations.
The month of October likes to capitalize on our fear, doesn’t it? Scary movies are out in droves and every empty strip mall storefront deems it necessary to transform itself into a Costume Shop. Seriously, why is that? We don’t have pop up stores for any other holiday. When’s the last time an abandoned grocery store started selling Easter decorations? It’s kinda weird.
It’s always been a strange phenomenon to me to be entertained by fear. Maybe I’m among the few, but I truly don’t enjoy being scared. I’m someone who craves peace and joy and freedom. Fear and Terror? Not so much.
Fear is an area I’ve battled in my life. Little Megan had pretty typical fears, socially acceptable if you will. Things like the ole’ imagination running crazy as 6-year-old me ventured down the dark basement stairwell.
But I grew out of those, deciding to turn the light on instead of torturing myself. Novel.
However, as I grew older, I noticed something: Even though what I feared had obviously changed, 2 things lingered:
1. I still had fears
2. They were still socially acceptable.
Operating under things like insecurity, fear of failure, fear of disappointing others, and even disappointing God seemed like something I was destined to deal with, just a tolerable part of the human condition we all fight. They seemed so commonplace, the thought of getting free from them never even entered my mind.
I don’t know where you’re at today, but for me, if there’s a fear that’s causing me to feel small and intimidated and I can be free from it…I’m grabbing hold of that freedom with both hands.
Fear can pop-up and try to hinder us at any time. It’s like the annoying whack-a-mole game at Chuck-E-Cheese. But, through Jesus, we’ve been given free access to a “Perfect love that drives out fear.” (1 John 4:18)
“Perfect love that drives out fear.”
The assaults of fear won’t stop coming against us until the day we get to heaven. However, when we accept Christ, we have the promise of His constant presence and peace. And through that presence, we can stand up through anything and overcome.
I don’t want to forfeit up my identity on the altar of fear. And I know you don’t either.
I want to live out a story that’s “Adventurously Expectant” (Romans 8:15 msg) And if you’re in it with me, I have a present for you.
If you’re one who wants more than just “feel good” inspiration and you desire actual practical steps, click here. I did a talk called “Replacing Fear” that I’m giving away right now for free.
This isn’t coming from an expert who has perfectly mastered this part of her life. This is coming from a friend who has slugged it out with the enemy in the trenches and has lived to tell about it.
I don’t want your beautiful No Small Life to be held back in any way. So click here for the free Mp3 of Replacing Fear. It’s 25 min that just might change your day.
Praying for you today. Until next time,
Meg
PS. One thing you for sure don’t need to fear??? MISSING A SINGLE POST FROM NO SMALL LIFE! We’ve already solved that problem 😉 SUBSCRIBE HERE
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