No Fear

I look into my living room with the cranberry colored walls.
I smile when I remember the actions of one little boy.
Whenever he would come to visit with his mom, he never wanted to walk in that room.
He would stop right on the edge of the family room carpet.

I never understood why he did what he did.
Not at first.
Not until one morning, when it was a very cloudy day, I had to turn on the light.
It is a light next to our baby grand piano.

When the light was on, the little boy walked in the living room quite easily.
As a little test, I turned the light off when he walked back into the family room.
I called to him from the living room.
I heard his little feet coming towards me; he stopped right at the edge of the rug.

I went into the family room, sat down and read a book to him.
When I suggested we go into the living room to play the piano, he stopped.
He would not walk into the living room with the light off.
As soon as the light was turned on, he was fine.

The living room is warm and inviting.
It is where our Christmas tree is each year.
It has four large bookshelves filled with books.
It has a lovely baby grand piano.

To this precious little boy, the room was too dark on a cloudy day.
He was afraid.
He was much more comfortable in the other rooms that are painted a warm tan.
He is much more comfortable in rooms with more sunlight.

Very young children seem to be fearless.
That is why parents must be incredibly diligent.
You cannot take your eye off a child for a minute near water or other potential dangers.
Fear is something children learn from experience.

We adults see the things that can cause problems.
We see the danger.
We also see when there is no danger.
We cannot understand the fears of a small child, unless we remember being one.

My daughters and I walked through the heart at the Franklin Institute.
I was a young girl the last time I walked through.
There are narrow passageways and narrow steps to maneuver.
There is one way in and one way out.

Or so we thought.
As we were going up one set of narrow stairs, a little girl was coming down.
The man in front of me, who was going through with his son said, Sorry, this is one way!
The little girl paid no attention to the man.

There was a single motivation that made her go down the up staircase.
Fear.
The little girl was terribly afraid.
I could see it in her eyes as she went passed me.

I heard the sound of someone above me who I thought might have been her mother.
The little girl was going down and the mother was still up at the top near the aorta.
No one could stop her.
I prayed that there was someone at the bottom to get her when she exited the heart.

I remember being on the boardwalk at the Jersey shore as a young girl.
It was such a treat to go on some of the rides.
It was so much fun to get salt water taffy and fudge.
I remember the year I felt that I was old enough.

There was a Fun House that you walked through.
I never wanted to go inside.
I remember one particular day.
I thought I was ready.

The Fun House was really a scary Fun House.
There were black corridors with glow in the dark paint.
There were loud sounds.
There were floors that moved beneath your feet.

I wanted to go inside.
I thought I was ready.
I was mistaken.
I was terrified.

I turned around and walked out the way I came in.
I passed people coming in who had to move to the side so I could go through.
There were protests, much like what the man said to the little girl inside the heart.
Hey, this is one way! Turn around!

I heard the voices.
I paid no attention to them.
I needed to see daylight.
I needed to feel the boardwalk under my feet.

I was embarrassed when I got outside.
I really thought I could do it.
I really thought I was ready.
I went out the in; I exited through the entrance.

I empathized with the little girl.
I was her, years ago.
Not in the heart at the Franklin Institute, but at the Fun House at the Jersey shore.
I understood her fear.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,”yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must love his brother. (1 John 4:16-21)

Even those who are in Christ are still afraid of things in this fallen world.
However, one thing is repeated over and over in God’s Word: Do Not Fear.
Literally, God’s Word says, No Fear.
No Fear.

Can you imagine?
No fear of the dark, or thunder storms, or getting lost, or losing a loved one.
No fear of strangers, or fire, or flood.
No fear of disease or death.

No fear.
The perfect love of God drives out fear.
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6)

There is only one antidote to fear.
That is the perfect love of the Lord Jesus.
Over and over, Jesus repeated, No Fear.
We can trust Him; there is nothing to be afraid of when the Lord is with you.