Today, fear is the common denominator of our lives. It is a feeling that paralyzes us and makes us give up doing things, even those for which we have long dreamed of. Fear of what people will say or fear of failure. Perhaps we believe that we are not capable of achieving it. It is a situation that does not allow us to move forward in life.
A few years ago, the worst tragedy in my life occurred, one that left me in pain and fear. I was married for 40 years, more than half of my life. In December 2011, my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. Moment in my life when my world fell apart and I couldn't figure out what to do next. For months I felt unable to make decisions. One day, being in the hospital, his doctor informed us that there was no longer anything that medicine could do for him, that he will be discharged so that he could go home and spend his last days in the warmth of his home. The days before his death were stormy until the fateful Tuesday, August 28, when the inevitable happened.
After his funeral and returning home to a life without him, I faced a harsh reality. My question was: What am I going to do now without you? My ability to make decisions was blocked, I did not know what to do and I sank into a paralyzing solitude. I cried all the time, didn't want to interact with anyone, and ended up sinking into a terrible depression.
Often times, we do not understand the processes or the reasons to go through them. Despite knowing GOD, I thought that he did not hear my cry, he did not see my pain. Months passed and one night, in the solitude of my room, I said: Lord, I am afraid, I don't know what to do with my life and I feel alone. At that moment I felt the hand of GOD on my back and a voice inside me saying YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Immediately Psalm 86: 1-2 came to my memory, which says: “Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you.You are my God”. Since then, I understood that I have never been alone. The Lord is always present in our life.
We tend to forget that, even in the most difficult situations, we can trust God. We have to learn to trust Him and firmly believe in the ability He gives us to achieve our goals and objectives. There are moments when life is going to hit us hard and we will face fear for the future, but God is always there for us. He is always has his arm outstretched to help us get ahead. In Mark 4: 35-40 we read how the disciples were afraid of a storm and how GOD calmed the winds and everything returned to the usual calm.
One story from the Bible that has always struck me is that of the woman with the blood flow. This story is found in Luke 8.43-48. This story is about a woman who had a disease, which made her unclean before the society of that time. She was rejected and it is very likely that she lived influenced by fear. How many of us have felt rejected for not fitting into the stereotype of what society wants? This woman had a blood flow for 12 years. I imagine she wanted to live a normal life, without fear of rejection. One day she heard about Jesus, a man who performed many miracles of healing and even raised the dead, and she thought: This is my moment! She faced her fear and took a risk, knowing the consequences well, but her desire to heal herself was stronger than those fears that surely paralyzed her. Maybe she thought she wouldn't make it, that people would stop her for being filthy. Surely she was afraid for her life and the danger that she would face if he did not get to Jesus in time; but she did not allow fear to keep her in her condition another day. She activated her faith and silenced the voices of fear. She took the risk, touched the teacher's cloak, and was healed.
Now it is up to you to do the same; take action and decide what to do with your fears. Break with them and say to the Lord: I am willing to walk and make my life what I have always wanted, and because of fear I never tried. I challenge you to listen to God’s voice and jump into the uncertain. God is waiting for you on the other side of fear!
God bless you!
