by Adelani Aderemi

Created on: December 02, 2009

Fear is an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger. It is usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight but at times fear can make the sufferer to remain idle. The fear I want to write on here is the fear of the unseen or unknown and how God used a baby to teach me that most times, the fear of the unseen is baseless.

At the time this thing happened, my son Tayo was only two years and was yet crawling on all fours. We occupied a two bedroom flat. Tayo loved to follow his mummy about as she went through her house chores but he always had problems whenever the mother moved from the sitting room to the other sections of the house. There was a doorway which had a curtain but no door, linking the sitting room to the other parts. Tayo did not understand that the curtain was no barrier to him. Once he got there he would start crying and looking for help without trying anything. Many times, I had to help him lift the very light curtain before he could pass. But one day he was very excited and ran wildly on all fours past this same curtain. It was too late when he realized that he was not supposed to be able to make it after all but he had made it. He sat back, with the lower end of the curtain in his grasp laughing. He showed his pleasant surprise the best way a 2-year old could and his mother was no longer able to keep him in the sitting room again.

As I laughed with him that day my mind was busy reviewing Tayo's initial dilemma and his current success. Tayo's erstwhile fear of that curtain had been unfounded. It has kept him away from all the places he wanted to explore in the house, denying him good adventure and most importantly to him, keeping him from continually enjoying the company of his sweet mother. But all he did to conquer this fear was just to try, albeit unplanned. The lessons God used this episode to teach me are better captured in the wise sayings of the following notable people:

Marilyn Fergusson: Ultimately we know deeply that on the other side of every fear is a freedom

Jane Adams: Our fears are traitors and make us lose the good we often might win, by fearing to attempt

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the things you think you cannot do

Marie Curie: Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood

Dorothy Simpson: There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth, the persistent refusal to analyze the causes of happenings

How many times in my life had I nursed such fears as this toddler did? How many prospective good relationships have I lost uncultivated because of fear of rejection? How many good friends have I lost because I feared they would not forgive my sins if I asked them? How many times have I lost good opportunities to help others because I feared they might reject the offer? And how many helping hands have I ignored when all I could have done was to ask?

What is your fear? Is it fear of death? Are you afraid to sleep at night because of terrible nightmares? Are you afraid of enemies who have threatened to kill you? Are you in dread of unseen evil powers? Whatever be the object of your fear, here now what the Lord says as recorded by Prophet Isaiah in Is 41:9-11;

I took you from the ends of the earth; from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.

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