When Fear Met Faith

Manic Monday continues with Kelly Balarie. Every week, she personally cheers us Christian bloggers on with words of encouragement. She is featuring 10 writers on her site today. Go see what they are up to. You will be blessed. If you are coming over from any of these blogs today – Welcome!

http://purposefulfaith.com/what-bloggers/

When Fear Met Faith

By Carolyn Dale Newell

Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Is. 41:10 (NKJV)

I was content living with a visual impairment. I had grown up with it. Changes took place so slowly that they were hardly noticeable. Then, in 2011, my vision diminished dramatically, and I had to face the fear of living in total darkness.

The fear was more than I could handle. When you grow accustomed to living your life in a particular manner for 50 years, it is hard to imagine changes. What would it be like to never see the faces of friends and loved ones? How would it feel to never see flowers again? What about the mountains outside my window? How would I do such things like cooking, laundry, or Bible study? Will I lose all of it, or will I still see light? Yes, light, please God, not total darkness!

I knew God had a plan, and I had to trust Him. Easier said than done. All I could do was look at what God had brought me through. God gave my husband victory over leukemia. He had pulled me through several years of great emotional pain with a wayward child. I almost trusted Him to bring me through this, but fear still had its foot inside the door.

If someone had told me in 2011 what God was going to do in my life, I would not have believed them. That is why we walk by faith, not sight, and that was what God taught me to do.

I learned to walk down the street with my safety depending on a white cane. This usually protected me from obstacles. However, there was a bigger lesson to learn. I found that it is safe to take a step in faith without the certainty of knowing where it leads, not just down the street, but on the path of life. During that process, faith slammed the door shut on fear.

Fear freezes us. It keeps us from moving ahead. It stops us from witnessing. Fear paralyzes us when God tells us to serve Him. It mutes us when He says, “Speak!”

I don’t have to know what is ahead. God knows, and when I walk by faith, that is enough.

Friend, what fears are holding you back today? Is it learning to live without sight? Perhaps you are confined to a wheelchair. You may be starting life over without your spouse, or maybe you have lost a parent or child. There is hope in Jesus Christ. When all else fails, He never leaves your side. He gives you strength when you feel weak. He gives grace when you need it most. Learning to depend on God will be the greatest blessing you can experience.

Through my disability, God gave me abilities. He enabled me to trust Him completely. He gave me the ability to serve Him and encourage others through writing and speaking. He has shown His mercy, because four years later, I still have some vision.

Is fear knocking at your door? Don’t even go near it. Instead, let faith answer.

Copyright 2015 Carolyn Dale Newell.

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