Through Stained Glass: Advent Word of the Day--Afraid

Day 22:  Afraid

They fled from the tomb…for they were afraid. [Mark 16.8]

My first nightmare, that I remember, was one about Harry and the Henderson’s, that bizarre movie turned TV show about a Bigfoot like creature.

I remember dreaming he was following me and when I woke up, I swore he was walking towards me. Of course, this launched me out of my bed and into my big brothers. It is funny how my eyes played a trick on me, causing me to be afraid of the dark.

Then there was the time when I went exploring in the souvenir shop at Cave of the Winds in Colorado without telling my parents. When I went to find them, well, they were gone. That feeling of adrenaline pumping through my veins and my breath quickening and the reaction to cry, I’ll never forget it. That was the first time I was afraid of being alone.

I don’t have children. But I do have two Golden Retrievers and they are like children. I remember when I took Silas, my oldest golden, to the dog park in Louisville and 2 other dogs attacked him. My heart sank. I was frozen in my tracks. And I was genuinely afraid for my friendly, gentle giant of a golden pup.

It is okay to be afraid. It happens to everyone. Mary was afraid. So was Joseph.

I often wonder if God was afraid at the thought of becoming one of us who, She well knows, have a tendency to harm and hurt each other. Just look at the headlines. Listen to the floating heads on TV.

Actually, don’t. If you do that, it will only make you more paranoid and afraid.

I guess, Advent is a time to recognize that fear and being afraid is normal, a part of our human condition.

And if Jesus is who we say Jesus is, then we can find comfort knowing that at some point, Jesus too knew what it felt like to be afraid.

So friends, the light is growing brighter. The nights are becoming shorter. The hour of uncertainty will dawn. Soon, we will no longer need to be afraid.

If you made it this far, I encourage you to spend 11 minutes and watch this video. Storyteller Karen Thompson Walker does a beautiful job articulating how fear can be a positive influence in our lives.