Life Got you Afraid?

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As you may recall, I am a quote collector.  How and where to save them is a bit of a dilemma, but nevertheless I can’t stop myself.  I gather them from books and movies, reflections and Facebook, (just to name a few) and then I take pictures of them, copy them down in my phone and even, sometimes, jot them down on paper, if I am in a rush.

I’d like to share one I took down a little while ago, from, of all sources, a Hallmark movie, called “My One and Only.”  I know, I know, but honestly, you don’t have to like Hallmark movies to appreciate this quote.  Guys, I promise, this won’t hurt a bit. 😀
 
It was delivered by one of my favorite celebrities, Pascal Hutton (also known from the series When Calls the Heart.)

Anyway, her character was delivering this line, which really stood out for me.  She said whenever she was scared, her grandmother never told her not to be afraid.  Instead she would just say, “The fear may not go away.  You might just have to do it scared.”

Isn’t that great?

I tend to over-analyze everything, but this quote is quite loaded.  Think about it.  If you wait until you are no longer afraid, you might never do what needs to be done, and the truth is, we shouldn’t be afraid of being afraid.

Case in point.  Many, many years ago I coordinated Confirmation at our parish.  I was setting up some scenarios for 8th graders which involved them having to make some moral decisions.  As I was deliberating over one of the scenes in particular, my wise Director of Religious Education reminded me that fear can be useful (especially for young people) as it can prevent us from doing things we shouldn’t.

So there you have it. Plowing through fear can help us do what we should, and listening to fear can prevent us from doing things we shouldn’t!

And then there’s this, from the First Letter of John (Chapter 4, Verse 18):

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

So maybe we aren’t quite there yet, but scripture (God's revealed Word), which always gives us concise wisdom, reveals that when we are finally able to fully trust and love God, with all the circumstances of our life, there will be no reason to be afraid.  He is always walking with us.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blogspot.com
janetcassidy.blubrry.net


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