banishment

Yes, I do realize that I've been very quiet while away at college. I am keeping quite busy, learning how to be a student again and the art of making new friends (which is something I have always struggled with, but I am finding that the skill is invaluable if you want to stay sane in new life situations). I was struck dumb tonight by Donald Miller - again...this guy just knocks me over on a regular basis...and I just felt compelled to share. He was talking on his blog about growing up and maturing. This is something I have a problem with, because I have trouble managing fear in my life. But for the third time today, I was reminded that fear and worry are not ways of life that we were designed to walk in. Here's what Don had to say:

I wish I could go back and talk to myself when I was twenty. I’d say to myself “listen, don’t worry about the things you’ve been worrying about. Everything is going to work out great.” And I’d likely clarify with myself that “In the future I get everything I need?” And I’d say back to myself “No, you just realize you didn’t need it. And that’s even better.”

I was at church this morning and the pastor got up in the middle of the worship set to talk to us about fear, which was a deviation from the planned programming of the service. He said he felt like there were people there this morning that were living with a spirit of fear, and that was not how God designed us to live. And he prayed for all of us who were dealing with fear that it would leave us and be replaced with God's spirit of love. It was a strange concept to deal with because even though I know that fear isn't healthy, and it isn't the way God created us to be, I still live my life with fear hanging around me like a stray cat that got fed once and won't go away.

My new assignment is to banish fear. I have a feeling it will be a process, but at least I don't have to do it alone.