"Be not Afraid"

 

 “NO...No...No! Please keep them away....Mum take me home...please!”

Alan screamed as he shielded his ears with his hands and ran to his mother.

Everybody looked at Alan wondering what had scared him while other children were merrily playing with balloons, or sticking their fingers in the birthday cake, or admiring the birthday girl’s dress.

“It’s the balloons” Alan’s mother explained “He’s very scared of them.”

“Balloons?” we asked.

“Yes” she said “It’s difficult to understand other people’s fears, isn’t it?”

(At a birthday party at a toddler group in the Reading town centre) 

...

“Owww... Oh my god... I can’t look down... are we there yet? How much longer?” my sister asked with her eyes closed.

“C’mon, see the scenery ... its beautiful” we urged her to admire the cows grazing below and the conifers rising up like needles.

“Sorry, I can’t look down... are we there yet?” she said with terror lining her voice.

“It’s such a waste bringing you here... we thought you would love the landscape.”

“Yes, the landscape is lovely... but I can’t look now... not from this height” she said.

 (In a cable car at Mount Titlis in Switzerland)

...

“You are doing great... now try floating with your arms stretched out in front while you lift up your feet” says my swimming instructor, who also happens to be my husband.

I cling on to the swimming board, unable to let go.

“No I can’t ... I will surely drown if I do” I despair.

“I am here to save you if you are drowning, so just let go” he said. Day after day.

One day, I did let go of the board.

And swam and survived!

(At a swimming pool in Singapore)

...

There are several types of fears and phobias. Some imaginary some real. 

Most of these are psycho-social and make us feel vulnerable. 

Only we ourselves can overcome our fears.

We can draw strength from a line that is repeated several times in the Bible:

"Be not afraid!"


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