People are afraid of all sorts of things.
Spiders.
Snakes.
Even clowns. Especially this one.
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| (Oh great, now I'm going to give myself nightmares tonight.) |
None of those really bother me that much. (Except Pennywise the Clown from the movie It. He bothers me.)
What am I afraid of? Silly things like writing a book.
I have at least six projects started. I'm not sure if all of them have the potential to turn into a published work, but a few of them do. I'm just afraid to sit down and put the time and effort into writing them.
I like the idea of a finished book, but I'm afraid, and so I do other good things so I have an excuse for not writing. It's not even that I'm that busy with those other things. I have plenty of time to write, but my anxiety keeps me stuck in limbo.
I'm unhappy with where I am, but I'm afraid of where I want to go.
I think I'm finally getting sick enough of my lack of forward motion that I'm ready to push ahead.
I had a little talk with my wise husband tonight. He must get so tired of repeating the same words of encouragement over and over. "I believe in you. I know you can do it, you just have to write the book."
I don't know what you're afraid of right now. Maybe it's a new job opportunity. Maybe it's a leadership role you don't feel ready for. Maybe it's a new relationship opportunity. Maybe it's a clown.
Whatever it is, you can do it. It's worth the risk to attempt it even if it doesn't turn out the way you hope.
I realize that I've missed a great opportunity in recent months. When I've been sitting at my desk and my anxiety rises about writing I've turned to Facebook and Netflix to escape my fears. Instead, I could have turned to God and talked to Him about everything I'm feeling. I could've prayed until the anxiety passed and I was ready to tackle that writing.
I'm going to try that this week. How about you?
Is there anything you've been afraid of lately? How can focusing on God help you to face those fears and move forward in spite of them?
