My kitten Pippin is a five month old, black ball of fluff. He frequently appears covered with dust and I say, "Hey, thanks for getting behind the toilet," or up on the counter, or behind the shelves, or anywhere else I have a hard time reaching.
He is my explorer.
He is fearless … almost.
Today I watched him tear across the living room, ears back, eyes wide, when the man with the leaf blower appeared outside the window.
I immediately got up and walked over to the window, but instead of closing it, I turned around and said to Pippin, "Come on. Come here. There's nothing to be afraid of. Come on."
And Pippin, because he's one of those odd trusting cats, walked over to me, hopped on the table by the window and put his front paws on the window sill … afraid no longer.
The other day, a strong thunderstorm rolled in, but because of the direction of the wind, I was able to keep the window open, and even though Pippin was wary at first of the thunder, he soon joined me at the window and both of us sat there and watched the rain.
It's so easy to live in fear. Fear is frequently paralyzing. I'm not a fight or flight person--I'm one of those fainting goats.
Fear is isolating. It locks you inside your own head and plays out every worst-case scenario.
But the same thing that makes fear so pernicious, also makes it so easy to defeat.
"Come here," I said to Pippin. And he came and we faced his fear together. He was not alone.
We are not alone either, not even in our own heads.
God is with us.
Psalm 27:3 "My heart shall not fear."
Psalm 46:1-2 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea …."
Psalm 23:4 "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff--they comfort me."
Psalm 121:7 "The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life."
The entire book of Psalms is a book on fear and God's ability to crush it even as He steadies us, never once leaving our side.
Fear is a constant battle, a struggle for everyone.
But God is there. We do nothing alone.
He is my explorer.
He is fearless … almost.
Today I watched him tear across the living room, ears back, eyes wide, when the man with the leaf blower appeared outside the window.
I immediately got up and walked over to the window, but instead of closing it, I turned around and said to Pippin, "Come on. Come here. There's nothing to be afraid of. Come on."
And Pippin, because he's one of those odd trusting cats, walked over to me, hopped on the table by the window and put his front paws on the window sill … afraid no longer.
The other day, a strong thunderstorm rolled in, but because of the direction of the wind, I was able to keep the window open, and even though Pippin was wary at first of the thunder, he soon joined me at the window and both of us sat there and watched the rain.
It's so easy to live in fear. Fear is frequently paralyzing. I'm not a fight or flight person--I'm one of those fainting goats.
Fear is isolating. It locks you inside your own head and plays out every worst-case scenario.
But the same thing that makes fear so pernicious, also makes it so easy to defeat.
"Come here," I said to Pippin. And he came and we faced his fear together. He was not alone.
We are not alone either, not even in our own heads.
God is with us.
Psalm 27:3 "My heart shall not fear."
Psalm 46:1-2 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea …."
Psalm 23:4 "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff--they comfort me."
Psalm 121:7 "The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life."
The entire book of Psalms is a book on fear and God's ability to crush it even as He steadies us, never once leaving our side.
Fear is a constant battle, a struggle for everyone.
But God is there. We do nothing alone.
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