Hopes and Fears

I was able to connect with an old friend that I haven't talked to much in the last 20 years. Our lives have taken different turns. We came from very different backgrounds and have gone in different directions. As I was playing counselor with her and trying to discover why she felt so helpless in her life, she talked a lot about her relationship with her parents and I could sense a lot of anger and frustration. It seemed as if she was pushed into the grown up world unprepared for the problems that would come her way. She said that she and her brother were the type of people that waited for life to come to them and that they were not the types to go out and make life happen.

The truth is that when obstacles were in her path, she didn't work to overcome them, she avoided them completely and ran the other way. I remember back in Social Studies class, we did a government section and we were assigned to give a persuasive argument on hot topics. I remember I had to speak on euthanasia. Well when it was her turn to give her speech she just skipped class. I think the teacher knew how terrified she was and made special arrangements for her to turn a paper in or just give her speech to him so she didn't fail the class, but as we were talking I noticed a pattern of avoiding every challenge that came her way. 

I used to envy her life. She was the daughter of a successful actor with plenty of bucks in the bank. She has been to exciting places and mingled with some "important" people. I no longer envy her. She doesn't feel she had much in the way of love from her parents. She seems paralyzed by her fears, unable to chase her dreams and living a shadow of the life she could have. I have to say that back in Junior High I had high hopes for her. She was creative and artistic. She did well in her classes. She seemed like a bright young lassy. 

I am not claiming to be an expert, but It seemed to me that because she has not controlled her fears, her fears have controlled her life. She is paralyzed by tasks that seem like no big deal to me. I can't say I know what the solution should be for her but it seems to me that she needs to build her confidence by overcoming some of her fears. She can start out small and work her way up.

Today at church we were talking about 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." I believe that as we  have faith in Christ and strive to overcome our fears, the Lord will guide us and strengthen us until we overcome. I see it in my sister who has just overcome her fear of flying and took a flight with her family to Florida. I can say that I am grateful for the challenges that have come my way because they have given me confidence to progress in my life and gain a greater freedom.