“Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. And lo, no one was there.” ~ Anonymous
I’ve struggled with fear quite a bit in my life. I realized that where there is faith, fear can not exist. When I find myself getting fearful about something, I try to call on my faith to replace the angst. I mean, fear blocks our light from shining in so many ways. We don’t share our gifts when we are fearful. We judge ourselves, and in turn we judge others, when we are fearful. We become a smaller version of the magnificently made human being we were born to be when we are filled with fear.
I believe we are all born with the same seed of greatness in us, but sometimes our fear blocks the seed from growing into that big spirit, and so feelings like jealousy, resentment, or even hatred and anger, begin to come out in the way we interact with humanity. And so rather than shining a light on others, we diminish them. It’s really our own light that needs a little kickstart. The resentment and jealousy are just a result of one’s own self-doubt, one’s own fear. The beauty in this brokenness is the power just one human being has to reignite the spark in another. Sure, we can ping pong anger and resentment and jealousy for years. But rather, wouldn’t it be awesome if when someone was displaying those emotions, we still shine the light towards them and lift them up? Show them their beauty, release them from their self-doubts, give them permission to let go of the fear.
“Love me when I least deserve it because that is when I really need it.” ~ Swedish Proverb
I once read that in a tribe called BaBemba in South Africa, when someone does something wrong, the whole tribe comes out. They put the offender in the middle of a circle and each tribe member gets a chance to tell the offender something he / she has done good to help them in their lives. They remind the offender of his heart, his kindness, the love that is within him, and then he is welcomed back into the tribe. The tribe trusts that the good was back, and the offender will do no more wrong. Just amazing.
How will you lift others up in love today?
