Afraid? Just Climb In!

 

She's all smiles now, but it wasn't always so. 
Once upon a time there was a little girl who was deathly afraid of characters. You read that right. She was afraid of any large, fluffy, walking character such as Chuck E. Cheeze,


 

Mickey Mouse, Ronald McDonald, or even Snow White.
My little girl would cry and pitch a whopper of a fit if any such "live" cartoon character even came into her viewing range, much less walked up to her and tried to touch or wave at her. She simply would have none of that.

For years, we would have to make sure Chuck E. didn't bother her while she ate her pizza, that Ronald didn't try to give her a smile while she dipped her chicken nuggets in sauce, and that Snow White didn't come within ten feet of her at her own home: Disney World. Speaking of Disney World, can you imagine taking such a child there? But we did. That was interesting...

Recently I asked Abby if she remembered being afraid of "characters." Remember? According to her, she still is afraid of them!

And I suppose that's why she dresses up like one each Friday night...


They say that courage is not the lack of fear, but the stepping up despite the fear. It is moving on out even though you do not know what is ahead. It is saying yes even though you're not sure of the results. And it's getting up each morning and getting dressed even though you feel unsettled about what lies ahead.
And maybe it's putting on a fluffy horse's head even though you are squeamish around a big, friendly mouse.


"Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, 
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." 
Joshua 1:9

By the way, I asked Abby if she was afraid of Bucky, her co-mascot, and she said yes. But I guess she just plows on through her fears in the name of team spirit.

 

 Psalm 118:6a, 7a, and 8 say:

The Lord is for me; I will not fear...
The Lord is for me among those who help me...
It is better to take refuge in the Lord 
Than to trust in man.

I don't know why I felt compelled to write on this topic today, but chances are there is someone reading who is fearful of something. That's ok. We all fear some things, some of the time. My daughter fears people in animal costumes for pete's sake. 

But don't let your fear keep you from doing what God has called you to do. He is able to protect and guide you. He will go before you and walk with you and bring up the rear, too. 

Now if I could just get Abby to sit still for shots and blood tests. We're still working on that one.

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