Fear! The last year for me has been one of fear and anxiety. With many things happening in our lives (work, family, relationships, financial stress), there is a lot to create anxiety in many of us. I’m certainly no exception. Not only do I feel my own anxiety, but I also seem to pick up and carry others’ anxieties as well. I believe I have read every verse in the Bible about fear and anxiety. “Be anxious for nothing …”, “Fear not, …”, etc…but now if someone would only tell my physical body that! My mind knows, but my physical body seems to have a life of its own. For instance, I can wake up in the middle of the night with not a thought or worry yet feel like I am being zapped by a pulsating electric fence. I’ve had friends, my husband, and have, myself, prayed for a healing from the physical and emotional effects of anxiety. And I know God will, I have no doubt, but I do sometimes feel like asking, “WHEN GOD WHEN?” I know He is using this issue to help others and myself. I’m grateful that I know what others mean when they say they feel like they are going to actually die from a panic attack (increased heart rate, hyper-ventilating, uncontrollable shaking, chest pains, etc). With that being said, I’m ready to be done with it. But here is the thing..the Bible never tells us not to FEEL fear, it says, do not fear. Many courageous people who have done heroic things, I’m sure, would testify that they were scared and fearful when they did what they felt they were called to do. They didn’t run from the thing that was in front of them. Well good news-I AIN’T RUNNING from my fear, and neither are a lot of those other people who go about their lives feeling anxious. I’m choosing to stand in Christ, He is my rock and my salvation. As long as we are moving forward and doing what God has asked us to do we are under no condemnation for feeling fear. So! Do it Afraid-
-Vanessa Perron, CPM Ministry