Frozen in Fright

Some of you may remember Dark & Hairy… Well, he is back, and for a reason:

“The slight movement caught the side of my eye… on my 6 foot ceiling, there he was, DARK & HAIRY! I never did like that look. Even my husband doesn’t have an abundance of body hair…

A million thoughts plagued my mind in a very short time that seemed to be much longer. Is he coming this way? Where is the tissue? Oh no! He is between me and the tissue box! But wait! I don’t trust him, he may be mightier than tissue worthy, and crawl over it and onto me! I’m here alone… What else can I use? The fly killer is also on the other side of Dark and Hairy! A book? No, eww! Broom? Also out of reach…

And then, he seemed to notice me as well! He stared straight into my eyes, almost as if able to read my very thoughts! MERCIFUL HEAVENS! He started slowly towards me – eyes locked into mine AND THEN HE STOOD HIGH ON HIS HAIRY REAR LEGS!

I was frozen in fright! Stand off between Dark and Hairy With More Legs, and me… My only comrades were too short, and also sleeping.

It was then that desperation prevailed — I grabbed a sheet of paper from my binder in front of me and lay it gently on top of a beloved book (NOT MY BIBLE!), and Whack! But in my trepidation, I only knocked him to the floor. A tango ensued – okay, maybe more of a jig on my part. Whack! A book and paper can fall down better than fly up!

Thank goodness Dark and Hairy gave up the ghost! At least that is what I prayed when I unceremoniously dumped him into the trash. “Please be dead. Please be dead…” “

(My story is laughable, but it really happened! And yes, Dark and Hairy was dead. At least I think he was…just in case, I emptied the garbage…)

Isn’t it crazy how something so small can almost paralyze us/ keep us frozen in fright? Kind of like in life – what small and seemingly insignificant things are holding you captive? Keeping you from being the amazing person God created you to be?

Every year, at this time, we struggle with the same thing – fear of what will happen to us because we cannot see the end of the financial struggle. Fear of the unknown, and how we will possibly get by…

Two years ago, my husband needed a second surgery for his eye that had been damaged to the point of legal blindness (link to story), and being small business owners, and not being able to work for a month, put us behind financially. Quite frankly, we lost what we did have, and have been struggling to catch up ever since.

Business is business, and as per usual ebbs and flows, but by far, the leanest months are January through March. The first winter was definitely difficult, and the next winter came with its equal difficulty, but also the reminder of the year before – so, needless to say, our minds taunt us with the doubt that we will be able to make it through another winter this year. Fear. Doubt. Stress. Anxiety.

No matter the story, we are all plagued with these same emotions.

There’s a place where fear has to face the God you know… “Oh My Soul”, Casting Crowns

Who is the God YOU know? Psalm 46:1 says, and please give way for creative interpretation, “God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need Him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,”. Verse 5 says, “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” I know that verse is speaking about a city, but just think! God has given me the Holy Spirit to dwell in me, and has promised that He is my helper… she will not fall, because God is in her!

Do not be frozen in fright – hit that fear with The Good Book! 

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 

(2 Timothy 1:7) That is the Holy Spirit, friends!

Chuck Dark and Hairy in the trash (and yes, he has relatives, so be prepared for a comeback), and then pray!

“May all those who long for Your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!”” (Psalm 40:16) Because He is!!