Fear Not - How? | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Fear Not - How? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Kathi Evans
08/29/07
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Fear Not – How?

For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
II Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

We once had a wonderful Black Labrador, K.C., whom we loved and who loved us dearly. However, one of her weaknesses was that she was afraid of just about anything that went bump in the night! I will probably always remember one night in particular when her fear became a huge trial for me.
My husband was at a men’s retreat, so K.C. and I were alone at home. Because I was scheduled to work the seven to three shift at the hospital the following morning, I tucked myself into bed around nine and was ready for a peaceful rest on this chilly autumn evening with K.C. snuggled close beside me. Some time around midnight, much to my chagrin, a wind storm began that continued until dawn. I know when the storm began because I was awakened, not by the sound of the wind, but by a black, cold, wet nose pressed firmly against my cheek. That moment began a four hour war against K.C.’s fear.
The first weapon I used in this battle was love and comfort. I stroked, cuddled, whispered and generally loved this almost convulsively shaking canine until I was blue in the face. While she certainly didn’t reject my affection, it was utterly ineffective in calming her.
Next, I decided that a firm hand was required in this situation. The following thirty to forty-five minutes were occupied by my “admonishments” that her fear and trembling was not going to quiet the noise. I found it completely appalling that is animal could not see the logic in what I was repeatedly saying. Didn’t she realize that her fear was robbing us both of sleep and rest?
Finally, the nurse in me kicked in and I decided that when all else failed it was time to use pharmaceuticals! If you can imagine, I was able to somehow find a veterinarian that had an emergency telephone service. I was instructed to give my dear “best friend” some Benedryl and she would drift off into a peace sleep. But more importantly, so would I. One half hour and much cuddling after the first dose, I decided while I had enough, she hadn’t. It was time for another pill. Another thirty minutes went by I took a pill. Someone was going to get some sleep! In the end, neither of one us got any rest until the storm ended about forty minutes before I was to get up to go to work.
Since that fateful night several years ago I’ve had a great deal of time to reflect on the
power that fear can have over our lives and the lives of those close to us. As I meditated
on II Timothy 1:7, I found myself thinking that if I had written that verse it would read, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love and of power and of a sound mind.”
Surely, love would be more effective in combating our fears then power. Yet, as K.C. taught me, when it comes to fear what we need first is power. Unfortunately, in her case, that was just something that I could not give her. But I praise and thank my heavenly Father that He has in His love, grace and mercy given me His Holy Spirit as my source of power when fear threatens to invade the peace that He desires for me. When it comes to fear, it is the power of the Holy Spirit which allows me to receive God’s love with a sound mind.

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