Has fear every grabbed you with its icy fingers? Sometimes fear has wrapped its icy fingers around my heart and I have been frozen in place. Any energy I had to reach out to others for help drained out of me like the heat drained from lake water in the midst of the winter freeze over. I was immobile – unable to help myself even though I wanted to move away from this fearful grasp.
Fear often immobilizes us. Sometimes it is the fear of failure. At other times it is the fear of success and all the changes that would make in our lives. Have you felt the fear? Did it immobilize you for a time? Is it still freezing you in place?
I have found that there are three faces that break the gasp of fear in my life. The first is the face of God who has a purpose for my life. He seems to be able to hear my cry for help even when it is uttered so quietly I can barely hear it in my own mind. My hearts barely utters the first sound of my prayer – Lord, have mercy on me a sinner – and I can feel his presence melting the ice. Sometimes it is a very slow melt. Sometimes it is fast. But I know I am not alone with fear,
The second face is that of friends and family who are my lifeline of support. When I cannot call out for help in the frozen place of fear, one of them arrives – in person, by phone, by letter or email. The caring they express is a warm fire that melts the ice fear has placed on my heart. They give me the courage to face the things I cannot do and to do the things I can.
The third face is that of a family member, a friend or a client in need. The call God has placed on my life to reach out and help others melts the ice grip of fear on my heart. There is no place for the fear when my heart is reaching out to melt the ice of fear on the heart of others.
Consider these three faces. One of them will warm your heart with the fire of caring. One of them will melt the fear. Your life will be changed. Neither fear of failure nor fear of success can stand before the faces of love.