Pass the Hand Sanitizer Please

Sitting in my office today, I thoughtlessly reached toward the side of my computer, pushed the pump down on the antibacterial hand sanitizer, and rid my hands of any filthy bacteria that dared to find rest on my skin. It dawned on me as I rubbed in the liquid, with aloe, that I have never utilized hand sanitizer like this before, not since the dreaded H1N1 (aka swine flu) virus hit the scene. It amazed me how easily influenced we can be, the fears generated all we hear and see.

I hear stories of horror from this illness and others. We all become paranoid, fearful of what we might contract. It reminds me of the early 1980’s, the big one then a new disease called AIDS, fearful of the dreaded HIV virus. I take illness and disease serious, taking precautions, but also understanding reality. I’ve lost friends to AIDS, and I’ve had people I know contract H1N1. The fear is real, but like AIDS, we can become overexposed to media sources, fueling our fear, much as what is occurring with H1N1.

So when is fear healthy and when is it not? When does fear protect us and when does it cripple us? How do we ensure that we remain the master of our fears and not allow our fears to become our masters? When do we become obsessed with controlling what we fear? It seems that there can be very fine lines between the two. We all have our own reactions to circumstances and our environment. We have all been conditioned to react in certain ways. We all have a past of experiences that have molded our fears.

In reality, I have come to conclude that fear is often the underlying emotion behind many of our issues, whether that is anger, frustration, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc. Fear can often be found lurking beneath, often unnoticed. So, what are you afraid of and what are you allowing to further the growth of your fear?
I encourage you to evaluate the fears that creep into your mind and stunt your ability to move forward, your ability to embrace life, that limit your experiences and create the walls around you, locking you in. Fear is a very real emotion with very real consequences. God assures us that when we trust in Him we will find peace in our fears. Many times, letting go of our fears causes a whole new set of fears, as we can so easily rest comfortably in our fears.

Explore what is getting in your way from embracing the complete love of Christ. Explore what barriers in your life fear is causing. Explore how you can begin to let go of these fears, and who you will recruit to aid you. The fears of the 80’s have been replaced with knowledge, wisdom, and confrontation of prejudices and phobias. The fears of the swine flu will eventually be no greater than the fears of the flu we have combated for years. Gain wisdom and insight into your fears, make the move to become the master of them, give control and worry to God, and let Him deal with what you struggle. Letting go of fear can allow you to enjoy the life fear once robbed you of, allowing God’s peace and serenity to fill the God spot fear once occupied.


(The writings in this post are random thoughts and observations and are NEVER intended as professional or personal advice. Take what works and leave the rest. For information on mental health and/or substance abuse help, visit http://www.rodneyvalandra.com and refer to the links page.)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

You Saw What?

Image
That old saying about opinions surely applies to perceptions. You and I can visually see the same thing and have different perceptions. And this applies to what we hear, experience, and belief. I perceive the cold and beauty of winter as that of a child, with excitement and joy, whereas my friend might experience this as misery and confinement. And then, the cost of heating and the fear of freezing could be a completely different and drastic impression to others. In my opinion, I only know of one absolute. Most everything else is perception. It seems to me that we quickly, and oh so easily, fall into the belief that our perceptions are fact and in many cases, especially for those of us with higher degrees of control needs and rigidity, fail or refuse to see past what we feel. As I listen to people around me, in my interactions, I am aware of how perceptions interfere with the ability to truly hear and understand others. I heard a person once state, “They’re my feelings and so their
Read more

Worthy and Wanted

Image
Many of us attempt to start our days each day in a positive manner, with a direction that will guide us in a meaningful and healthy manner throughout the remainder of the day. Some begin with exercise, others coffee (yes, coffee is very meaningful), others some form of relaxation, others meditation, and others prayer, or a combination of more than one. Beginning our days in a purposeful manner helps us to manage and resist the coming anxiety and stress that life in the real world brings. In beginning a day, I came along a prayer from another person, penned anonymously, in a daily reading, which was simple and yet so complex. It read, “I pray that I may never make anyone feel repulsed or unwanted”. Sounds good, sounds simple, sounds easy enough. And then, when I contemplate the depth of such a prayer, I realize the true difficulty of such a prayer. A similar prayer echoes through my mind, “Lord, help me to return to this bed causing as little harm as possible throughout my day”. Such
Read more

Living The Label

Image
I'm not much of a label person, and maybe you're not either, but have you noticed while shopping the people looking at labels on food and products. And what about all those warning labels, stating this product can cause cancer, this one tooth decay, that one heart disease, and so forth. It is my impression that labels are out there to make our life easier, to make choices easier, and to guide us as we make decisions that are in our best interest and best for our health. In many areas, labels serve a purpose, and in other areas, they really don't. I've come to the conclusion that many times labels just state the obvious. Labels like, "smoking causes cancer", or "sweets cause tooth decay", or "alcohol may cause birth defects", just state the obvious; pretty common sense stuff. Sure, there are many labels that are helpful, especially for those of us who are counting calories, limiting sodium and cholesterol, or watching our fat intake. Other
Read more