Facing Our Fears

I hope you had a good week. So far, we’ve had a beautiful autumn in the Northeast. I love the crisp morning air, warmth of the afternoon sun and how the leaves glisten in the golden light. So stunning!

This past week Eva Marie Workshops hosted a class on Facing Fear. As we opened up about the topic and started sharing our experiences, we discovered that many of us have the same fears: the fear of failure (or success!); taking risks and doing things outside of our comfort zones; shifting careers and job loss; raising children in today’s world; aging and health issues; and the overall  “what ifs?” we might feel. It’s good to know we’re not alone in our worries and concerns!

Our fears can show up large and small. During the workshop, I shared a story about getting lost while driving in New York City, and my trepidation when I had to drive along a very narrow outside lane on the very edge of a very old and high suspension bridge after missing my exit. I was driving my daughter and her friend back into the city from Connecticut after dropping off their boys at summer camp. We’d missed our turn, so we got off at the next exit. My daughter and her friend both live in the city, but had no idea where we were (they also don’t drive very much!). In order to return to the correct route, we had to cross the bridge. 

I was in the far right lane when we started to traverse the bridge, and thought I’d be able to merge into the traffic as we made our way across, but I was wrong. Instead, we were stuck in a lane not much wider than our car with only a very low gate barrier for the entire length of the bridge. The engineers who’d built this bridge long ago may not have envisioned the unbelievable amount of traffic that would one day cross it. It felt like we were riding an old rickety roller coaster as we progressed upward. I gripped the steering wheel and focused my eyes forward. I was afraid that if I looked to my right, or made one small jerk of the steering wheel, we’d end up in the river. Driving the bridge felt like an eternity, and I was so relieved as we started to go downhill. When we safely arrived on the other side, all I could say was, “Well, that was an adventure!” 

Later, when I reflected on the experience, I was reminded that sometimes the only way to get over fear is to face it and move through it. As Ann Voskamp says, “Fear can be what we feel, but BRAVE is what we do.” Was I scared crossing that bridge? Absolutely. I had no idea what I was in for. But at that moment, I had to trust that God had given me good driving skills and together we could cross it. 

While researching fear, I found that “fear not” is written in the Bible 365 times. God knew that fear would be something we face daily. Our strength and courage come from Him. My personal favorite is  “Fear not for I AM with you.”

What helps you navigate your fears? Is it a favorite saying or verse, or perhaps an object that you can look at or hold onto when fear comes knocking at the door?