Ho paura...

Fear.

It is a word far too common, especially within the human mind. We are hardwired to fear certain objects, emotions, places, thoughts, the unknown. Fear, a noun, should be its own genre of emotion for it's almost too emotional to be an emotion. This sensation is such a passionate feeling with abilities far beyond any other emotion, other than love. Fear can be the drive in one, the break in another; it can alter a life, or four. Fear can consume anyone. Fear, itself, has no fear.
As a child, fear is incorporated into many everyday tasks. As early as birth, this feeling is the unknown and of the unknown. A new person can instill fear, or loneliness, or even love. And as we grow older, we become more conscious of fears as our world expands beyond our wildest dreams.
At this age, I have different fears than when I was younger. The dark is no longer a dreaded part of the evening, but actually necessary when I wish to sleep. Crossing the street is the least of my worries, and I openly welcome horror films, only if someone else is there to watch it with me and distract me afterwards with food or something. I know from witnessing family members, friends, and just hearing stories that as we get older, it does not get easier. I hear that fear extends to the most inner depths of our hearts and sometimes hides our hearts. I hear that fear is something that can conquer and consume you, make you then break you. I also hear that fear can have the opposite effect- fear can feed the flame to a fire that will never stop burning.
I have fears, many fears. I fear things that everyone knows, some know, or no one knows. We all have fear.
But we should all take comfort in the knowing that what needs to be provided will be provided for. That we should have no fear for the Lord, our Savior, is with us always. We should trust this, always.
Trust, that is something I fear, along with a dozen other things, and then some.
Some of those dozen are ashamed fears. But Someone knows them, and that Someone has the power to change them in ways that will only aid in conquering and overcoming whatever else presents itself.
I can’t help but be mesmerized by fear. How is it that this one feeling can drive so many emotions, actions, lives? And what is the proper go-abouts to conquering such a consuming emotion? What about the fears that I don’t understand, that have no source, no reason, no traceable function- can those fears be overcome?
I believe one must spend time in fear, just as one spends time with many other emotions. In doing this, we can learn more about ourselves and possibly just how to outsmart this “fear.” For we all know the victorious feeling of overcoming a fear.