Unhindered By FearSample

FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN

While we were filming our online course in Yosemite National Park, we came to a sign along our trail that said, “Caution: Rock Fall. Enter at Own Risk.” The sun had gone down, it was pitch black and the temperature was starting to drop. My friend Ebie turned to me and said, “Esther, this is not a good sign.” I looked ahead at the path. There was a waterfall we would have to run through and who knows what other roadblocks lay ahead. Though the path was uncertain, I had hiked it enough times to know how to navigate the terrain even if there were unforeseen challenges. 

I turned to Ebie and said, “It’s ok, I know where the path leads!” We gathered our group together and ran through the freezing cold waterfall that led us into knee-deep water. Our flashlights revealed snowy mounds, fallen trees, and massive rocks that blocked our way. Ebie began recording a voice memo of her final goodbyes and will to her husband and children, in her dramatic fashion. Things were only starting to get crazy. As the flashlights illuminated our path, we could only see what was revealed one step at a time, noises echoed in the distance, and the chance encounter of a California black bear haunted our minds. 

After a few more hours of hiking, we made it off the trail by 10 p.m. that night. After it was all said and done, of course, our favorite part of the adventure was that moment we faced our uncertainty and decided to traverse through all of the elements leading us to our victory. 

This story serves as an illustration for our lives. When faced with an uncertain situation, we have the option to recoil in fear or view the unknowns as an invitation to be courageous. God tells us in the Bible, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go” (Psalm 32:8 NIV). Just like Ebie had to trust me to guide the group down the path, we need to trust God to instruct us in our daily lives. We need to believe He has already gone before us and knows where the path will lead. 

Maybe you are facing some unknowns in your own life. Perhaps it is uncertainty about what school you will get into. Or if your test results will come back positive. You may not know what’s to come, but don’t allow a caution sign hanging in front of your unknown situation to deter you from pushing through to your victory. 

The wild unknown favors the brave—the adventurous ones who take the roads less traveled. 

Get the [F]ear out of Your Head

Today’s challenge:

1. Practice filtering your thoughts as your mind wanders. What are some of those noises in your life that are haunting your mind? 
2. Get into the Bible and find a verse that speaks to you about your specific situation.
3. Paste that Bible verse everywhere in your house and put it in your calendar to remind you daily to not worry.
4. Release the need to be in control and find certainty in God as you trust Him to guide you.