In these young years of their lives, I want them to learn that it's okay to be afraid. It's okay to experience fear...we are all afraid sometimes. Fear is not something to be ashamed of and it is not a sin. It does not mean that you "just don't have enough faith."
It just means you're human.
However, it's what we choose to do when we experience fear that determines out trust in God.
My boys experience fear now when they have nightmares, when they try climbing a little higher then they are comfortable with, when storms come, when they can't find me in a crowd...
I want to teach them now what to do when they are afraid, so that when they are grown men and their fears become larger...they are steadfast in who God is and who holds them close. Because they will experience fear...God may even call them to do something that makes them afraid. But, they will know that they can trust Him...that they are never alone...that their fear can become something powerful if given to their Jesus.
When we were in Texas this past week, there were numerous tornadoes in the Dallas/Fort Worth area where we were. The sirens started wailing and the weather reporters told us to take shelter until the storm passed.
Micah was afraid. He cried. He wanted Daddy to hold him.
I wasn't afraid. I knew the storm would likely pass over us and that even if we were hit, we were in a strong and safe place. But, he couldn't rationalize his fear away like I could. He felt it so strongly and it was all consuming.
My natural reaction to this is to explain his fear away. But, as I look back...what he needed was to be held by a Father. To be comforted, to be loved, to feel like he was protected. He had no control in that moment, but he knew where to go when he was afraid, into his Daddy's arms.
What are you afraid of? Where do you go to "explain away" your fears? They will never be resolved until you take them to Jesus. Until you crawl into His arms and let Him hold you close. Until you hear Him whisper his comfort and truth into your quickly beating heart.
Come to Jesus with your fears.
I want to be a mom that leads my kids to Jesus when they are afraid. And I want to comfort them like Jesus would when they are scared. I also want to show them my own fears and how I take those to my Daddy as well. To be vulnerable with them and let them see the courage that the Spirit of God brings us even when we feel like we're facing the impossible.
My boys are strong and courageous. They will face their fears, not with prideful boasting, but in humble obedience to the One who makes all their paths straight.
