What are you afraid of?

Is it fear itself?  Fear is a funny thing (and not the kind of thing we laugh about).  Webster says fear is "an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause us pain, or is a threat".  What Webster fails to tell us is that fear is different for all of us.

I am a relatively successful, extremely educated woman.  I have enjoyed a full life combined with a variety of opportunities and experiences, all which add up to who I am.  Yet, I have fears.  Many are unfounded, some are very dated and I even have one or two I have overcome.

The fear of mice is not one I have overcome.  Plural or singular, this is a fear of mine.  I can become completely undone by the very presence of a small, furry rodent in my midst.  Houses lose appeal (to me) should a mouse be spotted (or maybe even a sighting reported). Now, is everyone afraid of mice?  No...of course not.  Is that a rational fear?  Well, again, Webster does not define fear as something that is rational.  I wholeheartedly agree that it is very unpleasant. 

The fear of mice was not something I was raised with.  I had an unfortunate experience with a mouse when I was around eight years old that has "scarred me for life".   Earlier in that fated day, my mom had "us five kids" bring in the cat because she heard a mouse in the cupboard.  She opened the door, the cat retrieved the mouse and outside they went.  Mission accomplished.  All was well.  Moments later, while my mom was on the phone with my grandma, I thought I heard another mouse.  I opened the door and the mouse leaped out on my leg, ran down to the floor and took off.  (Yes, I realized later I forgot the cat).  I SCREAMED BLOODY MURDER!!!!  Apparently, this was a source of humor to my mother as she could hardly contain herself to assure my grandma that I was NOT BEING MURDERED.  

So...to this day, I am afraid of mice.  I know they aren't necessarily dangerous, that I am much bigger. blah, blah, blah.  Again...no one said fear is rational.  Megan (oldest daughter) has grown up unscathed by my experience and keeps rodents in her house...she calls them gerbils.  Yet, when she was nine and I tried to pay her good money to remove a dead mouse from the stairway, would she help me?  Hell. No.  Marissa and Madison have a little more common sense.  They recognize that mice are nothing more than vermin that can ruin your life.  We have all spent quality time on chairs, tables, and any other available furniture during an alleged invasion.  If you spot one, there are at least three.  THEY NEVER TRAVEL ALONE.

So what are you afraid of?  Certainly today in this world we have our choice of things we might be fearful of.   On any given day on Facebook, Twitter, the news, etc. you can read differing opinions on how we should handle refugees, terrorists, politicians, I think you get the drift.  We all have as many differing opinions as we do fears and while we may not always understand or even agree with each other, I believe we all know what it feels like to be afraid (or have an opinion) of... something. Fears (and opinions) aren't always rational.  If based on faulty "knowledge" these fears and opinions can be unfounded.  And sometimes fear drives opinions.  We all know of people who didn't make the right decisions when they were afraid. (thinking right now of a story I saw on the news of a mother who jumped out of a moving car while her child was still in it, because of a bee.....she was afraid).

Where does that leave us?  I am just wondering if maybe, we all took the time that we spent espousing our opinions (and fears) and actually put our intent into action, what the end result might be in our own little world?  I might not be talking about mice anymore.  For example, if I am afraid of being hit by a car, I don't demand that all cars be taken off the roadway, or that there be no more imported vehicles brought in the country.  What I will do is learn safe behavior so that when I am around cars, accidents are less likely to happen.  Obviously, I don't want to live my life in fear, so I need to be as proactive as possible and still be the person that I believe God intended me to be.  I might not be talking about cars anymore.

We can all afford this!

There is only so much we can do, but there is SOMETHING WE CAN DO.  In my world, if I see someone hungry, I can offer food.  If I know of someone who is lonely, I can visit.  I can take a name off an angel tree and buy a gift for a child less fortunate.  I can drop canned goods off at the food bank.  I can smile at all I pass by, without judging or profiling.  And in return, maybe they will afford me the same opportunity. When someone asks me to pray for them, I will.  I can ask others to pray for me.

This is what I know.  Everyone is afraid of something.  Education, understanding (and tolerance) of others who fear can be beneficial to all.  Actions speak louder than words.   Let's work together.  If you take care of any mouse situations for me....I will kill your spiders.

Until next time,
#helovedusfirst

your pal,
Kari