Fear and Faith

"I gave my life to become the person I am right now. Was it worth it?"

-Richard Bach

Fear and Faith: Two words so completely different, yet invariably connected. For me the distinction between faith and fear lies in the feelings associated with each. When filled with fear I experience a hardening of the senses, soul and reality: my shoulders tighten, I fight against my circumstance, teeth clenched. When living with faith I feel release, an acceptance of life and its outcomes. While in a fear-based reality, I dread losing control; faith requires a complete loss of control.

When I am in the flow, I take my faith for granted. Life, love, and my purpose are perfectly intertwined; my faith is a constant silent partner. I practice my faith through knowingness. I live with the knowledge that everything in my life was, is, and always will be, as it should be.

One fear emerges and more rise to fill the void. The tension builds and my worries compound to meet the demands. The more I succumb to the fear (lack of faith), the more turmoil I experience. It seems to build to an inescapable climax... and then I remember. I remember that no matter how life appears, All Is Well. Then I relax. And a miracle happens - a small one, but it's noticeable. Then another miracle occurs, and another. Even more quickly than the fears mounted, the miracles compound and I know I am cared for.

Why must I experience these dramas? I've learned that this pattern repeats itself. Hopefully, next time a small fear emerges I will fall into my knowingness before seeking out huge calamities to remind me of my faith.

The growth of a flower and our faith are often intertwined. I asked myself recently, what are the "right conditions" for the full flowering of my soul?

To grow and flourish as a flower my soul needs recognition, love, support, challenge and creative outlets. My soul flourishes when I take time for peace and reflection. My soul comes out, is expressed, when I am true to my heart.

"From a Socratic/Platonic perspective ignorance isn't bliss, and the quest for morality in our lives is the highest priority... even if it makes us uncomfortable," author Michael J. Gelb, author of Discover Your Genius says. So being true to my heart is my top priority and this is where faith resides.

Many years ago I read a book called Among the Lilies by Mary Adriano and Mary Bruno. One of the characters, Anna Belle, talked frequently of the strength of women. At one point she says, "Speaking of weed, Seigfried showed me a thistle plant which grows in great profusion in bare soil. Now, this plant has a beautiful purple flower ultimately, but that flower carries thousands of seeds which blow in the wind looking for fertile and bare soil to grow in. Those seeds can lay dormant for seven years waiting. If you think of this in the spiritual you can see how we must continue to be diligent."

From Rachael we can learn that, as the thorny thistle, sometimes our darkest experiences can amazingly bloom into beautiful flowers. Even when the seeds may need to lay dormant for years before the plant takes root, with faith, fear dissipates.

Learn more about this author, Jill Dutton.
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