Facing Fears--Again!

Don't have a photo for this post; you really need the authentic image of me in my lycra with my bike helmet to fully appreciate this adventure!

You may or may not know this about me, but I make a habit of feeling fear and facing it down. I am not talking about doing crazy antics but facing a fear that keeps me paralyzed from living life fully. Everyone around me gets to hear about how scared I am about whatever it is, but I have found dealing with fear face to face has helped me develop trust.

Two things I want to be clear on--
1.) I don't trust myself--I have grown in my trust of God.
2.) You can't be brave without being afraid

So how has facing fear helped me to trust God? I literally remind myself of several truths about Him:
* I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Phil 4:13)
* My times are in His hands (Ps. 31:15)
* Perfect love casts out fear (1 Jn 4:18)
...to name a few.

You can't be brave without being afraid. This statement has become a family truism over the years. When our eldest was 10 he would NOT go on roller coasters. A family friend took him aside at a theme park and asked him if he believed that God is all powerful and all knowing. Matt said yes... and the friend encouraged him with the fact that nothing is outside God's awareness so go ahead and take the risk; if it is your time to go, you'll go!

SO my big scary fear that I faced on Tuesday (and will face again I am sure) was riding my new road bike. This may sound really ridiculous to some but I am less afraid of riding the tandem with my husband than I am of riding my own bike! I have learned to trust him! Remember, I don't trust myself! The anticipation of traffic, mechanical issues, high speed wobbles on downhills, all gave me a sick stomach ache! But rather than allowing my fears to paralyze me and keep me from getting out there and riding, I confessed my fears to several people, asked them to pray for me and then I went out to ride.

I rode 20 miles without my husband anywhere around! (He was watching me via satellite though and he knew when I had arrived at Starbucks!)

Thankfully for my first venture there were no issues! A good friend was there to encourage my progress and be patient with me.

Will I do it again? Absolutely!

Will I be afraid? Probably until I get more comfortable with handling potential issues.

Did I get to know God more through this? Indeed! The peace that passes all understanding guarded my heart and my mind.

How about you? What fear is keeping you from participating in life fully?