Yesterday, I took my daughter Abbie to the dentist for her regular 6 month cleaning. Going into the dentist, Abbie still loved
going. I mean what’s not to love when you are in that stage where you are losing teeth, getting new ones, and get to pick out a toy when you leave. She hasn’t experienced the negative side of the dentist. Until yesterday…
When the hygentist was finished she brought the dentist in and he gave her a glowing report and looked up at me and said, “After looking at her xrays and examining the teeth, one thing I am a little worried about is whether she will have enough room in her mouth for all of her adult teeth. In a couple of years, she will need to see the orthodonist for braces.”
That is all is took. Abbie was hysterical. On the way home she was crying about something that may or may not come about a couple years down the road. Believe me, I am a bit fearful about how I am going to pay for these braces!
It made me wonder…What has happens in our lives that changes our joy to fear? There has to be a trigger. I used to dream about flying like any young boy, like my own little boy does. I used to dream about being an astronaut, exploring space. But I remember the day, in second grade when my class watched together as a school teacher was set to be the first teacher in space. I watched with my class as that shuttle broke apart in the air and from that moment on, I have been afraid to fly. I do it from time to time, but I don’t like it one bit. If we let it, fear grips us and squeezes the life out of us. I know for me, my fear comes out of my inability to trust that God’s plans for me are better than my own. I get to wrapped up in my own selfishness, not looking at it from God’s perspective.
“For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9
What changed your joy to fear?
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2 responses to “FEAR”
Changes joy to fear…. Good question. One that hasn’t been given much consideration. However, I also believe that a lot of it has to do with our society. I remember playing outside until dark, riding my bike a few blocks to a neighbors to play. But now, we can’t let our kids out of our sight because of the fear of what might happen to them. What changed? Society. The farther we get from God, the more afraid society will become. Will society ever find it’s way back? Probably not, but who’s to say? All we can do is try to lead by example and pray. By the way, I now know how much older than you I really am because of your comment about the shuttle disaster. I remember where I was and it wasn’t in school….
Good thoughts. I also think that in some respects we choose fear over joy, because we would rather feel fearful on our own, than having to trust God with our lives.