Fear is a house of cards that collapses with the slightest
whisper.
Fear is an air-filled balloon that, when released, flies
uncontrollably around the room.
Fear is the bird that pecks and flutters adamantly at the
hand that is helping to get its fallen baby back into the safety of the nest.
Fear is desperately trying to find solid footing on a boat
in a storm.
Fear is the dog that growls and snaps at the one who tries
to care for it after it’s been hit by a car.
Fear is twirling and twirling and twirling until earth
and body collide painfully, and still the twirling continues.
Fear is driving with a brake pedal that doesn’t work.
Fear is chasing the papers from the notebook that was blown
out of the hand on a windy day.
Fear is reliving that
moment before impact over and over and over again.
Fear is grasping and grabbing to hold onto the air raft as
the waves keep crashing and moving it farther away.
Fear is the assembly line that moves faster and faster and
doesn’t stop when the emergency button is pushed.
Fear is that scrawny fox that snarls and snaps at any other
creature who threatens its food.
Fear is spinning on a playground merry-go-round when one
hand has come loose and the other is hanging on for dear life.
Fear is chasing the baseball that was hit all the way to the
fence and running back with it in seemingly slow motion while everyone watches
and waits.
Fear is a kite that gets caught in the wind and jerks
violently back and forth before getting stuck in the branches of a tree.
Fear is the rabbit whose eyes never stop moving, darting back-and-forth,
always looking for danger.
Fear is a struggling fish scooped up in a net to be placed
in water while its tank is cleaned.
Fear is the hen that covers her eggs and holds them close to
her body to keep them safe from the prowling raccoon.
Fear is a fogged over windshield that obscures.
Fear is the snake that strikes at the ankle of the foot that
steps too close.
Fear is the roly-poly bug that curls into a ball and tries
to pretend it isn’t there.
Fear is the deer that stares, unable to move or react.
Fear is the whisk that jumbles everything together.
Fear is the laugh of the kookaburra in the absence of humor.
Fear is the fire that moves from place to place destroying
everything in its path.
Fearing is walking through a house of mirrors and not
knowing what is real and what is perceived.
Fear is a question mark and an exclamation point.
Fear sees evil in kindness… ugliness in beauty…and
oppression in safety.
So many children with so much fear.
“There is no fear in love.
But perfect love drives out fear…” I John 4:18a
Love looks beyond the behavior and beneath the surface to
the depths of the soul where fear has its tightest grip.
May we strive to love perfectly.
