“Hurry, load ‘em up!” I hollered over the wind as my young niece and nephew brought their horses to the trailer.
The temperature had dropped as the wind seemed to come up instantaneously. Everyone at the rodeo was desperately trying to get horses and kids rounded up and to safety.
I was just out of high school and was going to the town an hour north of us each week for the women’s and kids’ rodeo. It was a fun evening to look forward to each week. It also gave me an excuse to have my niece and nephew come stay with me for the weekends. It was also a way of getting them out of the situation they were in even if was just temporary.
I had always been a completely fearless person. Often not even exercising enough self caution to prevent way to many injuries to count. Then that storm rolled in and changed everything.
“Grab your ropes and get in the pickup,” I said hurriedly, “I think we can get ahead of this storm and outrun it.”
The sirens were going off in town and I knew there must have been a tornado warning issued. It was so dark the only way to see any of the sky was as the lightning sparked and illuminated it all. As far as I could tell there was nothing on the horizon so plenty of time to get out of there before it got worse.
My niece was concerned but had spent her whole young life with me and snuggled up beside me trusting my decision. It was short lived!
As we rounded the corner out of town the rain started coming down in sheets followed by hail pelting us in full force. Visibility was almost nonexistent at that point.
My poor niece was terrified. I was fighting my own fear welling up in me to calm her down. I was just trying to stay on the road as we inched along.
It came up so fast I didn’t have any time to react. I never saw it coming just the wind hitting us with such ferocity that fear completely overtook me.
The next thing I knew we were being picked up off the road and moved like a little matchbox car to the opposite ditch.
Something died inside of me that night. That fearless girl who believed she was completely invincible realized her own mortality. Fear had set in and the devil was trying to destroy me in new ways since his old ones had failed.
If there was so much as a cloud in the sky while I was outside, my heart would race uncontrollably. I would make every excuse in the world to those around me on why we needed to immediately go in the house. As rancher’s we work outside for a living and this presented a huge problem over the years.
It was especially bad if we were in a vehicle and crippling if I was the one driving.
It may sound like a logical fear but unfortunately it was a foothold for satan to gain ground in other areas of my life. New fears started growing and morphed into daily worries. I became the epitome of a worry wart.
[Tweet “The Holy Spirit is anti-worry by nature. @kellybalarie #FearFightingBook www.fearfightingbook.com”]
One day, many years later, I was driving home by myself pulling a camper when a storm rolled in fast. My heart felt like it was going to explode it was racing so fast. Rationale was fleeing. Then I remembered a verse I’d chosen to repeat while I was in labor with my first son.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
I started repeating it to myself as a way to calm my heart. Also to help turn my focus back on Jesus who had always wanted to heal me of this fear.
The fear started to subside. I was fighting back finally and the devil knew he was in trouble. Through the power of the Holy Spirit I was taking ground back that had been stolen all those years earlier.
You know what, the storm didn’t subside. The wind blew hard and it rained and hailed on me for a good part of the way home. It was dark and scary on the outside but my heart had found firm footing inside and there was no way I was going back!
I love what Kelly Balarie reminds us in her book Fear Fighting – “What didn’t kill you yesterday has no real power to kill you today.”
Unfortunately, I had let fear rob me of the power Jesus had made available to me all those years. So, I exhaled all the fear and inhaled life back into those dry bones.
Does that mean fear never tries to rear it’s ugly head in my life? Of course not, but now I know that where the Spirit is – there is freedom!
[Tweet “I don’t want to live life as a wreck, I want to live as a worshiper. @kellybalarie #FearFightingBook www.fearfightingbook.com”]
~I would love it if you’d visit Fear Fighting Writers Contest and vote for me if this post has encouraged you. Go to the bottom of the page and enter 32 in the comments. Thank you!
If you want to learn more about Kelly Balarie you can visit www.purposefulfaith.com or to order the book go to www.fearfightingbook.com.
I’m sharing this post with several other blogger’s at these Faith Linkups. I encourage you to check them out. If this post resonates with you and feel it would help others please feel free to share. Easy to share buttons below. ~Laura~
Thank you for your post today. The storms where you live sound really scary! The worst storm I have been in was Hurricane Charley in Florida when a tree got dumped on top of our holiday villa. At the time I remember praying with my family and feeling quite peaceful… however there have been scary times in my life when fear has taken over. I have had to remind myself to work on my faith… and also it’s very often my own
False
Expectations
Appearing
Real ….
my thoughts appearing real..
If I change my thoughts I change the feelings.
thanks for the reminder to always be reliant on the spirit… it will always lead us right…
(visiting today fro moments of hope link up… your neighbour)
So true Jade, when we change our thoughts we change our feelings. Blessings to you today!
I will gladly click over and vote for you! This is a truth filled encouraging post about fighting fear. Thank you for sharing your story. I’m visiting from #momentsofhope.
Thanks for the encouragement and the vote Dawn! Blessings to you.
Great post, Laura!
Thanks Heather!
I like it. Your friend Steve
Thanks Steve!
You had my heart pounding too Laura! Love this post!
Thank you Anne! Also, thanks for sharing it on Facebook. I appreciate it.
That does sound like a very logical fear but I get it! I think we often fall prey to letting things that are reasonable swell to be unreasonable fears- and you’re right, it’s usually through worry for me too. I love this: “So, I exhaled all the fear and inhaled life back into those dry bones.” Amen.
Thank you very much! Blessings.
Whew! What a scary time Laura. It’s in those moments that I find it hardest to call on those scriptures I have tucked away. But when we let our faith step out of hiding and take over, fear takes a back seat! Thank you for sharing your story with us:)
It was very scary Kristine! Not to long ago I was driving down the interstate and hit black ice and ended up sliding sideways down the middle of it. To be honest I could only cry out, “God help”. So glad He knows our hearts when our words aren’t there. Faith always gives fear the boot. Thanks so much for stopping by. Blessings to you.
Fear is feisty, isn’t it? It follows us and frustrates us and tries to hold us back. So glad you got your hands on Kelly’s book, I’ve heard such great things! Fight that fear girl and thanks for sharing your heart with us (as always).
It really is a good one Sarah. Glad to have friends like you who lead the way well on fighting fear and following Christ. Blessings!
Fear is a doozy and it can derail us from pursuing God’s best for us. Loved your story of overcoming and clinging to God to get past the next wave. Glad to be your neighbor at #coffeeforyourheart today.
Yes it certainly can can’t it Tiffany. So glad God is always right there with us. Thanks for coming over. Blessings to you today.
You told this story very well; i could imagine that same fear, and almost feel it! How interesting, that through another such episode, you were able to dig down into faith and find a way out.
Thank you Robann! It may sound strange but I’m so grateful He gave me the chance to work through it right there in the middle of another episode. Past redeemed! Blessings to you friend.
Reading your story made me feel like I was right there.Your Faith is strong and God speakers to us that seek his word and believe.Gods Blessing to you.You are such an inspiration to me.And I know The Blessings God has given me and know he has many more for us.Am so Blessed each day.
Thank you so much Barb! You always inspire me with your faith as you’ve walked your journey. I pray for you often. Blessings to you friend!
Laura,
What a powerful story of how speaking and believing God’s Word pushes away fear. Thanks for sharing! Visiting from Holley Gerth
Thanks Dolly. I appreciate you stopping by as well. Blessings to you.
I’m on the launch team for Fear Fighting and also participating in the contest (number 17). Your piece is really well written, and I hope we end up in the top five together! Visiting from #dancewithjesus linkup.
What a great book Kelly has made available to us huh? Thank you for the kind words. I hope we both end up in the top 5 as well. That would be great! Blessings to you.
Hi Laura,
This is such a powerful book. I absolutely loved it! I love how you weave your own story of fear throughout this post. God is our refuge, our strength, our courage, and our fear-taker! I’m so thankful He stepped in and took your fear and replaced it with His courage! Thanks so much for sharing with us at #MomentsofHope!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori
Thanks so much for the encouragement Lori. You’re always so good about lifting the rest of us up. Thank you! Blessings to you.
Thank you for sharing this post over at the Grace & Truth Link Up Party!
Thanks for stopping by Starla! Blessings.
I confess, I’m a worrier. I’m trying hard to battle it and am in a season of “wait” that is growing my faith. Meanwhile, thank you for the post!
Nicki, praying for you. Worrying is a real struggle. I’ve been right there many times. Blessings to you.