Deborah Spooner
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Blog
  • My Work
  • Contact

afraid [adj] 1. feeling fear; filled with apprehension  2. feeling regret, unhappiness, or the like  3. feeling reluctance, unwillingness distaste, or the like

Fear.

It's a dynamic word; it's a word that practically all of us have experience with.

We're afraid of public speaking.
We're afraid of spiders and heights and drowning and car accidents and terrorist attacks.
We're afraid of loss. of shame. of defeat. of rejection.

We're all afraid of something.

What if fear isn't all bad, though?

Life will give us things without our asking.  What it gives to us is not always in our control, but how we respond is.  What we do with the emotions we have and what we aim them at we can make an effort to control and direct.

We fear (and maybe, we just need to learn to fear the right things).

There are five things that you really should fear:

1.  Blindness


You don't need to necessarily fear physical blindness but fear the blindness that reaches beyond that.  Fear the blindness that prohibits you from seeing what is in front of you clearly, from seeing others for what they are, for seeing yourself for who you are.

The true frightening reality is when we live in a reality of poverty, oppression, and injustice and we no longer see it.
It's scary when you only see others from the lens of what your projected judgement is putting on them.
Life is drenched in fear when you no longer can see and refuse to admit when you've done something that has hurt others and cannot see that you may need to make a change.

2.  Safety


Safety isn't always something that is bad; it has its place.  We often need to be safe from the elements, from gunfire, from hunger.

But clinging to safety like it is oxygen you cannot function without is not healthy, either.

"A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for" (William G.T. Shedd).

If you ever want to make a change in your life, to feel like you are doing something of meaning and purpose try danger.  Don't try careless recklessness, but try small acts of dangerous living.

Do something outside of your comfort zone.
Talk to someone who you've been meaning to but are too intimated to try.
Reach for that goal you've been too afraid to try because it could go not as planned. 

Keep the fear of ebbing out a "safe" existence ever in front of you and have the courage to live life on purpose.

"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? (Vincent van Gogh).

3.  Inaction


"The more often he feels without acting, the less he will ever be able to act, and, in the long run, the less he will be able to feel" (C.S. Lewis).

The world is brimming with hurt and pain.
We notice these things in others; we've felt them ourselves.

The frightening reality comes when we stop acting when we are moved to act and when we become so cocooned in our self-centerdness that we no longer even feel these things.

It's only when we act that we gain momentum and that we can (as strange as it sounds) ensure a higher chance of acting in the future.

It is action that changes the future.

We must go.  We must do.  We must fear a permanent stopping.

4.  Laziness

If we are fearing blindness, safety, and inaction, we still can undo the good that these three fears produce with one simple habit: laziness.

"Laziness is exactly as the number eight.  If if lays down, it becomes infinite" (Anonymous).

We must fear this laziness because it causes our lives to be full of the other three.

As we sit and neglect productive work, we can become blind to the potential that we have to do more with our lives and lose sight of the impetus to actually do it.
As we drown in our indifference, we live lives that are too safe because we never go out and find what we are capable of.
As we procrastinate without fail, we are inactive in many areas in which we need to be taking action and making a difference.

Fear laziness because of the havoc it can unleash into your life.


Fear has power; it has the power to immobilize you or to send you soaring.  It has the potential for both.  You choose which potential becomes a reality.

------
This post was originally seen on Brave Mag.



In many ways, i've always been your match.
Not in the sense of love but more of a reflection. 

I think we've both always known it, but neither have admitted it.

I was utterly intimated by you. You made me self-conscious.
You made me fumble (and fumbling is something both of us avoid).
But maybe that just points to the truth: the thing i see most as standing in my way is... myself.

I'm my biggest enemy. I make myself fumble.

And, maybe, i saw that piece of me reflected in you...
and didn't know what to do about it.

You see, we both stand tall.
But neither of us have always.

I was there on the day of your transformation (if such an event can even be confined to one day).

I saw you - shaggy hair, baggy jeans, white v-neck and green zip-up - find words for ideas that i now can see were already swirling in your heart for quite some time.

You had a certain change you wanted to make, and on that night, you started it.

I've witnessed you grow into it, and i want to tell you that you've arrived in a way that the younger you probably wouldn't have known you could.

But know things, you do. And i can only say that because of something we both know: we can see through each other in a way that not everyone can.

You know that you could not (can not) hide who you really are from me no matter how many other people were (are) fooled.

And maybe that's where we differ.

Intelligence, yes. We both have some degree of it.
A keen perception. We're born with a unique version of it.
An intricate dance that sees the depth of people: not often a problem.

But it's the choice where we falter.

We see, and we have a choice of what to do from there.
We can do good. We can be selfless. We can be brave. We can be kind.
We can use our deep sight to make impacts.. Big ones.

Or we can let it lay dormant or not use it fully. 
Or we can forget why we need to use it in the first place.

It's always been our choice.

Intimated girl and v-neck boy - it's always been our choice.
And it's the conviction that stands between us.

When someone knows that they are not living all they can be and sees a match that can challenge them to do just that, it freezes a clod ooze over the warm sunshine life.
And to get warm again, you have to step away, away from the match to find sunlight again.

I want to tell you, i understand.
I understand now.

But i want to tell you, i'm not going to stop.

We must make a stand or not stand at all. 
We are meant to do good for a greater good, and we are not meant to back down.

You know that.

I've grown to embrace the cold because the cold is convicting. And once you've been cold, you have a new appreciation for warmth - from true sunlight.

V-neck boy, i want to tell you that i still believe in you. I still see who you are.
And, maybe more importantly, I see who you could (can) become.

Don't shrink from what lies dormant deep inside of you.

Life was made for more.
You have a part to contribute.
Don't miss it.

© 2015 Deborah Hope Shining
Newer Posts Older Posts

ABOUT ME

I could look back at my life and get a good story out of it. It's a picture of somebody trying to figure things out.

SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW

POPULAR POSTS

  • easier
  • To See Stars
  • Desiring the Corner
  • Loving, Walking, and Holding Fast: Part 3
  • A Desperate Cry
  • Pandora's Box: Take Two
  • Hypocritical High-Chair
  • Beautiful Tears
  • Waiting for Life to Start
  • What Life Really Is || The Power of Making

Categories

  • (over) think 10
  • A Challenge 22
  • Babysitting 1
  • backup 1
  • Books 2
  • Broken 21
  • Busyness 13
  • change 2
  • Choices 24
  • college 10
  • come 4
  • complete 4
  • confessions 15
  • Contentment 17
  • Culture 20
  • delight 3
  • depression 2
  • desire 4
  • Devotions 5
  • do it 8
  • doubt 9
  • Dreams 13
  • Encouragement 8
  • Enough 13
  • faithful 5
  • Fame 2
  • Fear 5
  • Finding Strength 24
  • focus 9
  • Friendship 6
  • Future 18
  • Grace 4
  • Grief 3
  • Growing Up 22
  • growth 10
  • His Love 5
  • ideas 1
  • Identity 8
  • Insecurity 5
  • interview 3
  • It's Me 17
  • Jealousy 2
  • Jesus 20
  • just deb 1
  • Learning to Learn 17
  • life 9
  • Loneliness 6
  • Look Back 9
  • love 4
  • meaning 5
  • mentor 1
  • mind 5
  • My Generation 10
  • obedience 7
  • Original Videos 1
  • people 1
  • Poetry 9
  • Presence 4
  • purpose 2
  • questions 8
  • reality 12
  • repentance 4
  • satisfied 7
  • simple 5
  • start 4
  • Stories 14
  • TFIOS 1
  • The Good Life 11
  • The Struggle 13
  • time 5
  • Tips 8
  • Trust 10
  • truth 5
  • video telling 2
  • Waiting 9
  • Want to Smile? 3
  • When It's Hard 11
  • Worship 2
  • Writing Life 6

Advertisement

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

Design by Britt Lauren Designs. Powered by Blogger.
facebook google twitter tumblr instagram linkedin

Follow Us

  • facebookFollow
  • twitterFollow
  • googleFollow
  • youtubeFollow
  • pinterestFollow
  • InstagramFollow

Workspace

Instagram
  • Home
  • Features
  • _post format
  • _error page
  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
  • Contact
  • Buy now
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact

Blog Archive

  • ►  2022 (5)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (1)
    • ►  February (2)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2021 (4)
    • ►  October (1)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (1)
  • ►  2020 (2)
    • ►  January (2)
  • ►  2019 (18)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  July (5)
    • ►  May (1)
    • ►  April (3)
    • ►  March (2)
    • ►  February (3)
    • ►  January (2)
  • ►  2018 (7)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  August (3)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2017 (9)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  July (5)
    • ►  June (1)
  • ►  2016 (16)
    • ►  December (2)
    • ►  November (3)
    • ►  October (1)
    • ►  July (3)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  March (2)
    • ►  January (4)
  • ▼  2015 (27)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  October (1)
    • ►  September (2)
    • ►  August (2)
    • ►  July (4)
    • ▼  June (2)
      • What You Should Really Fear
      • Deep Sight (where we falter)
    • ►  May (1)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (4)
    • ►  February (2)
    • ►  January (6)
  • ►  2014 (33)
    • ►  December (2)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  October (5)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  August (2)
    • ►  July (8)
    • ►  June (6)
    • ►  May (3)
    • ►  March (2)
    • ►  February (2)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2013 (15)
    • ►  December (5)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  October (2)
    • ►  August (2)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (2)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2012 (11)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  May (2)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (2)
    • ►  February (2)
    • ►  January (1)

Home Ads

Instagram

FOLLOW ME @INSTAGRAM

Tags

  • (over) think
  • A Challenge
  • Babysitting
  • backup
  • Books
  • Broken
  • Busyness
  • change
  • Choices
  • college
  • come
  • complete
  • confessions
  • Contentment
  • Culture
  • delight
  • depression
  • desire
  • Devotions
  • do it
  • doubt
  • Dreams
  • Encouragement
  • Enough
  • faithful
  • Fame
  • Fear
  • Finding Strength
  • focus
  • Friendship
  • Future
  • Grace
  • Grief
  • Growing Up
  • growth
  • His Love
  • ideas
  • Identity
  • Insecurity
  • interview
  • It's Me
  • Jealousy
  • Jesus
  • just deb
  • Learning to Learn
  • life
  • Loneliness
  • Look Back
  • love
  • meaning
  • mentor
  • mind
  • My Generation
  • obedience
  • Original Videos
  • people
  • Poetry
  • Presence
  • purpose
  • questions
  • reality
  • repentance
  • satisfied
  • simple
  • start
  • Stories
  • TFIOS
  • The Good Life
  • The Struggle
  • time
  • Tips
  • Trust
  • truth
  • video telling
  • Waiting
  • Want to Smile?
  • When It's Hard
  • Worship
  • Writing Life

Advertisement

Facebook

Get in Touch

Freebies

Popular Posts

  • mine
    I'm afraid to turn twenty-six. This isn't new , but it's been freshly rolling around inside, deflating other hopes and hollowing...
  • A Desperate Cry
    Slavery.  It is brutal.  It wretches families apart and creates broken hearts.  It has caused mass destruction around and insid...
  • breaking basic
    "People may teach what they know, but they reproduce what they are" ( j o h n   c   m a x w e l l ) We all have a role in each o...

Labels Cloud

(over) think A Challenge Babysitting backup Books Broken Busyness change Choices college come complete confessions Contentment Culture delight depression desire Devotions do it doubt Dreams Encouragement Enough faithful Fame Fear Finding Strength focus Friendship Future Grace Grief Growing Up growth His Love ideas Identity Insecurity interview It's Me Jealousy Jesus just deb Learning to Learn life Loneliness Look Back love meaning mentor mind My Generation obedience Original Videos people Poetry Presence purpose questions reality repentance satisfied simple start Stories TFIOS The Good Life The Struggle time Tips Trust truth video telling Waiting Want to Smile? When It's Hard Worship Writing Life

Also Seen On

See More >>




Snapshots from Instagram




About Me

Deborah Spooner is an analytical creative enamored by ideas and addicted to dripping words in candor. Serving as a Marketing Strategist for LifeWay’s Adults Ministry, she loves all things big-dreaming, difference-making, and Jesus-pointing. A pastor’s daughter with a background in communications and theology, you can find her at her local church with her students (and probably way too excited about the color yellow) as she seeks to know Christ more and make Him known.

Popular Posts

  • easier
  • To See Stars
  • Desiring the Corner

Just Don't (But Do)

The content of this website (including pictures) is solely property of Deborah. Using and/or duplicating this material without clear and full credit is prohibited.

Please, just don't do it.

But please, do share the site and anything within! (Just give credit where credit is due).

© 2012-2021 Deborah Spooner

Designed by OddThemes | Distributed by Gooyaabi Templates