Fear grips me. It gets me. It entangles me. Fear is what keeps me from seeing my greatest dreams fulfilled. It’s what keeps me from crossing the line of doubt to faith. Fear is what disables me from going. Going to the places and faces this year will take me. Fear will not hold me anymore. I was born to run to this race. I was born to live the amazing life of faith. Fear will not keep me in my shadows. Fear will not keep me at comfortable. Courage will push me past fear. Out into the unknown world. Courage is waiting for me to say ‘no’ to fear. Courage will rise when fear is calling. Courage is my new mantra. Courage is waiting for me to to open the door. To walk through. To greet what’s on the other side. I open the door. I see faces. I see people. I see someone who was waiting. Waiting for a smile. Waiting for a friend. Waiting for comfort. Waiting for food. Waiting for relief. If I hadn’t opened the door what would have been different? I may never really know. But I know I would have never seen this beautiful woman. Or this beautiful woman who gave me a tour at the local nursing home. And most importantly I never would have realized how good it feels to go out and be a blessing to someone else I live by faith not by fear. This year I’m taking a journey. A journey where my faith becomes larger than my fears. A journey that allows my faith portray what my fears are not.
Last week I told you that I was taking a journey. A journey that takes me beyond my little home and out into the real world. Each week I will challenged as I consider where to go and how to be a blessing. This week I visited a nursing home. The fear taunted me as I drove. “Why are you doing this?” “How could this possibly help?” “What the point?” The questions were there but my courage was too. I had no idea who to talk to or what to say. But it all subsided as I said hello to the first stranger I met. Did I make some huge impact? No. Did I walk out my faith? Indeed I did. I’m smiling from ear to ear.
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says
So inspiring! Since you’ve been so brave to share. I’ll share with you that I volunteered at a nursing home for 5 years. I called out bingo numbers. They were always so grateful for my volunteering but the truth is that I got more out of the experience than they realized (and more than I ever expected). Sadly, it got to a point where I was coming home crying after every visit because my regulars…my friends… were passing away. I know that’s the circle of life, but it wasn’t something I could handle well. It’s been 3 years since I’ve been back or to any other home. I hope one day I’ll be strong enough to return.
Melanie says
Thanks for sharing Tina! It is sad. I understand. My kids and I visited almost weekly for over a year when they were younger. We had our favorite friends who sadly wouldn’t be there when we returned. It’s such a joy to see their smiling faces though we they don’t have many visitors.