Fear is a reality of life. It’s true for believers and non-believers. Fear keeps us from living our normal lives. It cripples us and prevents us from doing what God wants us to do.
We know we should not feed our fear or dwell on it, because if we do, it controls us. We should know this: fear takes control of us, only if we allow it! Here is a story that supports that.
An American Indian once shared:
“It seems that I have two dogs fighting in my heart: one is a very good dog, a beautiful dog and is always watching out for my best interests. The other is a very bad dog, which is always trying to destroy the things that I want to build up. These dogs give me a lot of trouble because they are always quarreling and fighting each other.” One of his friends looked up and asked, “Which one wins?” The American Indian said, “Whichever one I give in to.”
The more we entertain fear, the more it controls and cripples us. Remember: fear takes control of us, only if we allow it!
Here is another story, by an unknown author, entitled “Can sleep when the wind blows.”
Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.
“Are you a good farmhand?” the farmer asked him.
“Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.
Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him.
The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work.
Then, one night a loud wind and storm rushed from offshore.
Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarter. He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!”
The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No, sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”
Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with covers. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, the doors were barred and the shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.
The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant. So, he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.
The moral of the story is this: When we are prepared spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically in advance, we have nothing to fear. When we have done our part, well in advance, we have nothing to fear! We just need to feed our faith in God!
Can we sleep when the wind blows through our life? I wish we would.
Kenrick Vaz 