Can I ask you a personal question? What are you afraid of? Have you ever let fear take part in your decision making process? Or hold you back from something?
For me, this past week or so fear somehow took a hold of me. In my running plan, I run in the early mornings. This was peachy keen for me until two weeks ago when the sun decided it would no longer rise during my run. Cue the light up running vest. Problem solved! Or so I thought…
Last week a young person in the running community was tragically kidnapped and killed during her early am run. She was a mom, a teacher, and a wife. I do not personally know her, but I can relate to her in so many ways.
For the past week, my training froze. I didn’t know what to do. Do I keep running in the dark? Do I start carrying mace? Do I buy a treadmill? Don’t get me started on the running community on the inter webs- so many similar stories surfaced, advice started to pour out, and even some insincere sarcasm surfaced.
I began to process with my husband. What can I do to protect myself. What were the circumstances of this person’s story and could I brush them off?
Truth be told- I caught a thought. The enemy planted a seed of doubt and fear and it took root in me. That seed was full of lies! It told me I wasn’t safe anymore. It told me that what happened to this fellow runner could surely happen to me. It told me that I will never achieve my fitness goals. It told me that I wasn’t brave enough, strong enough, and tough enough.
But fear is a liar. It took me a solid week to recognize this fear and where it was coming from. It was on my drive home from my daughters dance classes this past Monday that I realized what I needed to do.
We arrive at home, it’s bedtime, the moon and the stars are out, and I announce that I am going for a run. I’ll admit, I was scared! I put on my running clothes, strapped on the light up vest, get my running playlist jamming in my AirPods, and nervously start my run.
My run was filled with the moon, the stars, the crickets, and what I can only say was a shuffled playlist curated by God himself.
My run was peaceful, filled with some jams to pump me up, mixed with some worship music reminding me that I do not need to fear, because I know who is in charge. I ended my run in awe, at just how big this world is, how small I am, but also how my God created it all.
I write to encourage you today- that if you have any fears that you bring them to God. If you don’t feel that close to God today, then share those fears with someone who is, or a close friend. Let them set the record straight and help you dissect where the fear is coming from.
Don’t let that fear simmer, fester, or take strong root. As humans, we all have some pruning to do. Let’s prune together, encourage one another, and lean into our faith and fears together.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” -John 14:27