fear

I am what you might call a "scaredy cat!" I don't like fights (or even fight scenes in movies). I can't stand the sight of blood. I am a nervous flyer. The list goes on and on. I think I came by it honestly, though, because I was raised by a father who is literally afraid of everything. Don't get me wrong, he is an amazing dad. I had a perfect childhood with loving parents and a big family. He just instilled in us, early on, the idea of watching out for everyone and everything around you. When I was in high-school and working at a nearby mall, he insisted that I wear a baseball cap when driving home at night so, that passerbys would think I was male (smart idea, I guess). He would always tell me not to park near any vans without windows (duh!). And, growing up, we were never encouraged to participate in any type of adventure sports like skiing, rafting, boating or even camping for that matter. My dad had a friend who had lost his leg in a water skiing accident and he would remind of us of that story every single time we mentioned the idea of boating.

I don't think there is anything wrong with being cautious but, it is when we let our fears take over, that we start to lose sight of the true meaning of living. Since being diagnosed with a life changing disease like MS, I have found that I like to venture out of my comfort zone just to prove the disease wrong. Thus, my newfound addiction to running and my lust for going beyond my limits. This weekend, I am going to hike a mountain that has been on my bucket list for years. I can't wait to climb to the summit and look down at how far I have come and scream, "Hell yeah, Take that, MS!!"

I have tried to let my own kids discover what it is they enjoy in life without letting the fear of it freak me out! My son is an avid white-water river kayaker. My daughter loves to downhill ski. Yes, I worry about them getting hurt, but they could get hurt crossing the street. We can't keep our kids safe from everything...in fact, we can't really keep them safe from anything. The best we can do is give them the tools & knowledge to do something right and hope and pray for the best. Let God take over the rest. I read somewhere that "worrying is taking on a responsibility that belongs to God." I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to step on the Big Guys' toes!

Fear is a funny thing. Webster's describes it as "anxious anticipation of danger or pain." My mama always told me that 95% of the stuff I worry about will never come true. Another great quote is: "Worry does not empty tomorrow of it's sorrows, it empties today of it's strength." Think about it. We spend so much time worrying about things that never even happen. What a waste of energy! We could be enjoying our todays so much more. The bible even tells us, "Do not worry about tomorrow, today has enough troubles of it's own." Time to end the madness! Stop worrying about the "whatifs" and grab ahold of your life and do the stuff that scares you. Feel the fear and DO IT anyway!!

Yeah. That's what I'm talking about.