Catechist Know-How September 2007

Be Not Afraid

By Mary Lou Rosien

I was feeling anxious. We were going on our first real family vacation and I couldn’t turn off my brain. Did I turn on the right lights? Did I leave enough food for the animal sitter? Did I unplug the coffee maker? My brain screamed, “This is too stressful, let’s just stay home!!”

I pushed through those feelings and vacation was very nice. The house didn’t burn down, the animals didn’t starve and I enjoyed walking into my own home after being gone for a week.

How often does fear stop us from doing something we would really enjoy?

Have we wanted to teach the faith, but are afraid to try?
Did we back down from a discussion about our faith or the Catholic Church because we were afraid?
Do we spread the gospel or do we let a twinge of fear stop us?
Are we wanting a closer relationship with God, but we are afraid he couldn’t possibly want us the way we are?

I can only speak for myself, but I would have missed some wonderful things if I had let my fears stop me from going with my husband and six of our seven children on vacation. (Yeah, vacationing with six kids….talk about fear!) The key to overcoming these fears was fairly simple.

I learned to appreciate the value of risk. Yes, jumping in a cold pool is uncomfortable at first, but I always have fun once I am in the water. Life is like that. You do not gain great experiences if you do not allow yourself to take a risk.
I don’t have to know everything. I have a fear of the unknown. I worried about how the kids’ behavior would be and what the hotel would be like. Although we had some good and bad experiences, we survived and learned a thing or two. Similarly, when someone questions us about the faith, we can find out the answers and educate that person and ourselves at the same time.
Let go and let God. Sounds easy, right? Not so. Trusting the Lord in new situations requires courage that I don’t always instinctively feel. Instead of stopping in our tracks, we can use thes experiences to increase trust and push past our usual comfort zones. The more we learn to trust, the easier it will become to let God give us the courage to take on new challenges.
I was comforted by Sacred Scripture. God speaks to us in His Holy Word. Open the pages of the Bible and read what He wants to say to your heart. I found the Psalms particularly helpful for this:

“I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy hill.” Psalm 3:4
“Surely God is my helper, the Lord is the upholder of my life.” Psalm 54:4
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4
“Be still and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10

Mary Lou Rosien lives with her husband and children in North Chili, NY. She is the author of Managing Stress with the Help of Your Catholic Faith (OSV Publishing). Please email her with questions or topic ideas at mrosien@rochester.rr.com.