Fear

A couple of weeks ago the children and I went home to Lexington. While we were there my dearest friend Whitney invited us to the country club to go to the pool! And of course we jumped on the chance to hang out with her and her kiddos! John Hunter had never been to that pool before and I knew before going in he was going to be thrilled with the fact that there was a REAL diving board. He has become quite the little swimmer this summer and I knew he was strong enough to swim, but I questioned was he brave enough to jump?


Without hesitation as soon as we walked in he spotted the diving board. His eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas and he was thrilled. As soon as we applied sunscreen he went over and go in line. Before he climb up I looked at him and said, "are you scared?" He look backed at me as confidently as possible and said, "No mom, this is gonna be awesome. Just watch!" And with that my little 5 year old blonde haired boy went flying through the air. That was the first of about 5 million times he jumped that day.


Since that jump I couldn't shake how proud I was of him. I remember like it was yesterday being forced to jump off the high dive at the aquatic center at UK for swim lessons. I have never been more scared in my life. Fear overwhelmed my 6 year old body. But I did it. To this day I can feel that same fear creep into many facets of my life. I truly believe every single on of us struggles with some type of fear, whether it's a fear of jumping into water or being "found out'. Maybe you don't worry about dying, but you get sick thinking about the face that you might fail. So what is it that you fear now? Maybe it's simple, or maybe it is consuming your whole body.


A woman's faith in God is challenged by the first question Satan asks Eve in the Bible: "Did God really say you can't eat from any tree in the garden?" That seed of doubt and the story it begins to unfold breed a concept of fear still haunting each of us on some level every day- the idea that our actions could ruin something beautiful, and God might not have control of things. But friends let me assure you that God is in control. And because He is in control I do not need to be. My need for control comes when I feel that God is not. When I think He is not in control fear sets in. So here is the Scripture I hold on to. When My heart is overwhelmed lead to me to THE ROCK that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2. Does your heart ever get overwhelmed? Oh sweet sister mine does. Just today the tears flowed as I was convinced I was not good enough. That I would never fit it, wasn't like, or even important. As I taught my son its ok not to be invited to EVERYTHING when he so badly wanted to be included, my heart was overwhelmed. But I clung to the Rock of my salvation. The one who says, "your are kind, you are smart, and you are important" The one who split time, who walked on water, and defeated death. Thats who I cling to when fear sets it. 


So today I challenge to go to the Rock when your heart is overwhelmed. Just like John Hunter did on that diving board don't hesitate. Just run and jump into the pool of God's goodness and love, and in the words of John Hunter, "This is gonna be awesome, Just watch!"