ok…the comments have slowed down (wow – thank you!) on me asking you what your greatest fear is. your honesty and transparency in sharing such powerful things with the public has just blown me away. now that it’s time for me to reveal mine, i can feel the hesitation many of you probably felt before pressing that “submit comment” button.
mine is death – more specifically, someone i love or myself dying tragically and unexpectedly. out of all the people i have ever known and loved who have passed, all but two have been unexpected. my close friend matt dying on his 31st birthday, my aunt who had ruptured a blood vessel in her head…or dying young…we had two funerals this week for a 20 year old and a 23 year old. a year and a half ago, my friend’s husband brandon passed away with NHL (read about it here and here). he was only 26.
so, all this fear…how can we combat it? fight it? how can we not let it rob us?
faith.
before writing this, i was reading a story on cnn about how a church collapsed in peru during a funeral. over 60 people are buried under the rubble.
the reporter notes the calm and peace shown by the nuns and the priest. he writes:
I couldn’t understand how this man and these women of the cloth could remain so calm, their faith so apparently unshaken while they contemplated the ruins of the church and the loss of people so dear to them. I asked them about that faith.
the priest replies:
“It’s difficult times like this that it [faith] exists,” the priest said.
wow. how frickin profound is that? without fear, doubt, question, turmoil…there would be no need for faith.
reflect on that a while…
“It’s difficult times like this that it [faith] exists,” the priest said.
Comments
12 responses to “confessional: fear (part 2)”
thanks for the linksy-backsy.
and you have a very valid fear here. and i know it’s scary and undesirable to think of someone we love (or ourselves) dying. i know when i think upon death… my salvation and knowing where i am going gives me peace. i just try and live a life as an example of Christ’s love and hopefully that will bring people along with me…
this life here is so danged short in the grand scheme of eternity with my Father.
I’m actually surprised there weren’t more answers about death. That would’ve been my answer…I was too big of a chicken to respond. I know we’re suppose to not fear death because of where we’re going, but for me I guess the fear is the unknown and pain it causes those left behind. It seems we kind of get the raw end of the deal when loved ones die.
That’s an incredible quote on faith.
I keep reading these blogs on fear lately. I’ve blogged about it myself too because I’ve realized what an enormous struggle it’s been for me, including recently. Thanks for sharing your fear. It’s a fear of mine also.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence not seen, according to the Bible. It took a lot of courage for you to write your fear. Faith, Grace, Hope, God’s Mercy and our commitment to Him sustains us. All I can say, your heart is in the right place….God’s love to sustain all of us! Be blessed for being so truthful. You are loved!
Anne,
Fear of dying is of course a tough one. Right now, I’m trying to keep myself from being overconsumed of my parents dying.
Both my parents are fighting life threatening illnesses and they don’t know Christ. Our relationship has been up and down for many years because of abuse. I never thought I had mattered in their eyes, and there is so much more.
But when i found out on my 40th birthday, that my mom is dying from Lyphoma I just started to weep for this woman. Anne, it had been about 22 years from the last time i said I loved you and I meant it to my mom. Ever since, God has been blazing a path for me to go to my parents and share Christ. October 2007 at the Lymphoma marathon that my sis is running for my mom. This will be the first time I have seen my parents in 5 years, EVENTHOUGH I HAVE GREAT FAITH
you know what….
I’m afraid that I will run out of time and then when I get there, they simply won’t listen. then will i let God down?
But like those priests and nuns, I have to have peace and strength and faith.
Anne you are not alone. I’m praying that the people you lost are at HIS THRONE..
I do fear dying tragically – if that happens I hope that its is instantly. I would hate to suffer. I said “the unknown” in the other post – and death is probably the ultimate unknown. I have faith that I will be with Jesus – most of the time – but honestly sometimes my faith caves in and I wonder about the moment of death and worry. A pastor shouldn’t have this fear – it seems irrational and contradictory! Let not your hearts be troubled…
fear of death, of course, was my response and i couldn’t believe when i read your blog this morning that you actually wrote the same thing. only my husband and God know my fear and to be honest, even writing it left me fearful. this lovely cycle of fear … it just seems to build and grow and like heidi said … consume. isn’t that what fear does? what an ugly word … consume. i’ve tried tried tried to gain some perspective on it … but it only lasts for a short time. do you or anyone have any suggestions? books?
I think when we come to the point where Christ consumes us we will no longer fear death. It will also make us more bold in sharing our faith. American CHristianity is basically consumed with SELF….it we take an HONEST look at what is preached and HOW it is preached it revolves AROUND US……I never go to church to have community, drink coffee, get into long drawn out conversations about the problems in my life….I go to church to MEET WITH CHRIST>…it can be a hymn, or a rocking worship tune coming forth..or for that matter….we can sing and let it echo off the rafters,….I’m there to WORSHIP CHRIST….when the word is preached…I want THE WORD PREACHED,,,,not some watered-down message from a movie…BUT THE WORD OF GOD….CONVICTING….ENCOURAGING….today our pastor talked about “connecting with God”…I do it everyday…they showed a clip of the world..they did not connect for the most part…or did not want to conenct with God..the Pastor turned it on US…are WE CONNECTING…I thought…yeah…every day…his bottom line was PRAYER…..I thought…duh…if you are not talking and walking with God all day long every day…YOU’RE NOT CONNECTING…and that is why our lives end up in the messes they are in….and when we fear death it boils down to our walk…FOR ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST….TO DIE IS GAIN…..
think about that…when we’re outta here…IT”S GONNA BE BETTER……
better than any “best day” you’ve had here on earth…that builds, faith and trust and hope and longing for the Lord Jesus. PRAYER IS THE KEY
Now when we look at those who are not right with the Lord…TIME TO GET PREACHIN”…..many do not comtemplate eternity but they need to..they need to know if they are right with God…and it’s not some little sinners prayer recited….It’s a RADICAL REVOLUTION…where you say I’M GOING WITH GOD……CHRIST ALONE….even if I walk alone…I’ll never be alone for He is with me….so I do not fear death….my greatest fear is that my children may not walk with God. But I’m a prayin’ momma…and I’ve tried to live a life of faith in Christ before them…not religion…going to church on Sunday…living in bed with the world all week….walking with JESUS….and I believe they will not reject Him.
Also…I’ve had times where I’ve wondered if some maniac busted into our church and put a gun to my head would I deny CHrist? those who have gone before were burned in flames rather than deny Jesus…. BURNED IN FLAMES>>>>>think about that…….I pray that the Lord gives me HIS GRACE TO NOT DENY HIS NAME…if that should ever happen….or this…we’re living in the days of terrorism…..face beheadings….WE NEED TO PONDER THIS for it will make or break our faith….Lord…Let me be a woman that never denies your name!!!!
I’ve thought that a beheading is simple…it’s done ..it’s over….you’re with Jesus…but torture…..Merciful Lord…..the torture that has been done to saints who would be tortured for Your Name….May I be counted as one of them!!! GIve me your grace and mercy….as your FORGAVE FORM THE CROSS..may I forgive those who would strike me down….
this is what I’m talking about….persecuted Christians around the world get it…American Christians don’t. We are just too afraid to die. We are not consumed with CHRIST.
Therapy….is great. And reading the Psalms.
Well yeah LOL half the church in AMerica is on some sort of drug and in therapy. When 40 hits don’t get in the pit…I told myslef…I don’t have time for a mid-life crisis…(and I don’t)…some get it at thirty….get free….get consumed with Jesus…when I was five I woke up in bed screaming “I don’t want to die…I don’t want to die”…that was because I had not heard the gospel….never heard it til I was 12. death where is your sting? It’s swallowed up in VICTORY…..WHOO HOO…..
For me to live is CHRIST…to die is GAIN! WHOO HOO
Having suffered from non-hodgkins, this was good to see. Thanks for this.