What makes a person scream? sheer terror, irrational and rational fears, peer influence… maybe all of the above. While Lindie-Ann, Monica, and I were at the market shopping for our dinner groceries, the rain started to poor. We sought shelter under the awning of a shop at the market. As we sat on the edge of the sidewalk and yelled over the rhythmic beating of the rain pelting the sheet metal awning, we noticed cockroaches swimming in the puddles of water that were beginning to form. Candidly making a joke about cockroaches and Jesus being similar because of their ability to walk on water, Lindie-Ann laughed out loud then screamed as we saw a stream of cockroaches come out of their hiding place in the cracks of the sidewalk and scurry towards us and dry land. We laughed at our squeamishness and quickly screamed again as another entourage of cockroaches scampered towards us. Keeping our eyes on their hiding place while jumping around to avoid the approaching cockroaches, we witnessed a rat scurry out of the sidewalk and into the alley. A scream arose from all three of us followed by an eruption of laughter from the locals, who had been watching this scene of foreigners with great amusement. After wading through flooded sewer water, we reached the other side and were greeted by a dead rat in the middle of the sidewalk.
We were relieved to find shelter back in our concrete home, rat and cockroach free. But as I sat and watched the rain continue to pour down on the muddy pond next door, I could not help but think about the scene we must have created with our screams at an ordinary everyday occurrence that is probably welcomed as the rain storms roll through to water the rice and vegetable fields, their livelihood. Naked babies wading in the sewer water that are appalling to me are not given a second glance here. Insects, roaches, and rats are as visibly populated as people here. Murky pond water that rises with the rain is welcomed and will be used for everything from laundry and bathing to cooking and drinking here. This is life, no screams necessary.
Later that evening, Dan, our squad leader, screamed in response to a screaming gecko that had made it’s home on the ceiling of our common room. As the gecko’s screams grew louder and bolder, Dan got more squeamish and positioned himself as far away from the gecko as possible. We laughed out loud at the silliness of the situation – a grown man scared into the corner of a room by a 3-inch long gecko. But I think to myself, how many times have I screamed out of irrational fears? How many times has fear prevented me from doing something? How many times have I thought and re-thought an action plan before moving to action? How many times have I allowed fear to dictate my actions?
But God did not give me a spirit of fear and of timidity, but a spirit of power and boldness. “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship” Romans 8:15. “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline” 2 Timothy 1:7.
