Fear: An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.
Fear.
Fear of spiders, snakes, cockroaches. Fear of heights, water, people.
These are common things that are feared among the human population.
“I can’t because I’m scared of…” Is a common phrase in every language.
Fear is more than just bugs and heights.
Fear is what can keep you up at night praying to God that nothing can hurt you. Fear is constantly wondering if you’re good enough, the thought that in one second, everything you’ve worked for could be gone. Fear is what keeps you from achieving things you’ve forever dreamed of doing.
Long before the World Race and even now I have dealt with all kinds of fear. I’m scared of big spiders, and long snakes with weird patterns. I’m scared that all my friends aren’t really my friends. I’m scared of what I do not know, and I’m scared of not achieving my purpose.
To be honest, the thought of the Race scares me.
What if I come back and I am not changed?
What if while I’m gone all my friends will forget me?
However unpleasant these fears are to me, I always know that I have an Almighty God who would never, ever forget about me, and will widen my heart as well as deepen my soul so much that there is no possible way that I can walk back into America the same person that walked out.
“For God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
This is the verse I used to write on note cards and keep key chained onto my belt loop in elementary school. This is the verse I have read over and over again in middle school. This is the verse that, just a few nights ago, my dad had me read aloud when I was scared.
I know I’m still going to have fears, both at home and on the race, but I also know that I have a God who is bigger than any fear I could ever imagine, and with Him nothing can happen to me.
With Him I can change my fears to:
When I come back I am gonna be more on fire for God than I ever have been.
When I come back I am going to have a whole new group of people, and that, no matter how far away we are from each other, no matter what country we live in, we are still family.
That can only happen with the power and grace of God our Father.
