Letting Go of Fear
About one hundred years ago, a man was traveling through the English countryside in his horse and buggy. He was alone, enjoying the beauty of the day, when suddenly he saw an elderly woman walking along the path ahead of him.
He pulled his horse and buggy to the side and asked, “Would you like a ride to the city?”
She replied, “Yes, kind sir, I would.”
She slowly climbed into the buggy, and they began their journey. As they talked, the man discovered that his passenger was the Plague—specifically, Cholera. Naturally, he became very afraid for his life.
The old woman (Cholera) said, “Do not fear. I promise that in the city ahead, I will only kill ten people.”
Still, he remained fearful.
She added, “I’ll tell you what, kind sir. I will hand you a dagger. If you find that more than ten people die from Cholera in the city, then you may kill me with the dagger.”
He agreed and they continued on. When they arrived in the city, however, he discovered that 100 people had died. Outraged, he pulled out the dagger to kill her.
The old woman said, “Wait. I killed only ten people. Fear killed the rest.”
Throughout history, fear has claimed more lives than disease or war. Fear has kept us in conflict. We’ve feared “the other,” distrusted one another, and built barriers in our hearts. It's time to let that go. It's time to stop allowing fear to control our lives.
A Story Henry Ward Beecher Liked to Tell
There was once a young man applying for a job at a factory in New England. As he entered the interview, he noticed the man across the desk was trembling with fear—visibly shaken.
The employer said, “Sir, the only position we have available is for Vice President.”
The young man asked, “The Vice Presidency? What’s the salary?”
The man replied, “I’ll pay you $60,000 a year—if you can take away my fears and worries.”
The applicant scratched his head and asked, “Well, where’s the $60,000 coming from?”
The employer sighed and said, “That, my friend, is your first worry.”
If we could look back over the story of our lives, we’d be surprised at how many decisions and actions were shaped by fear. Then imagine your life—without fear. What would change?
What would you do differently?
Who would you talk to?
Where would you go?
What risks would you take, if fear wasn’t holding you back?
Can you believe it’s possible to live a life without fear—to truly believe that fear has no place in your existence?
The Man Who Hid for 28 Years
One of the most powerful stories about fear is that of Souci Yopoi, a Japanese soldier during World War II. In 1944, as the war turned against Japan, he fled into a jungle cave on the island of Guam—and he never came out.
He lived in hiding for 28 years.
He survived on frogs, rats, snails, shrimp, nuts, and mangoes. He wore a jacket and trousers made of cloth woven from tree bark. Though he saw leaflets dropped in the jungle declaring the war was over, he was too afraid to believe them. He feared execution, so he stayed hidden.
Finally, in 1972, two hunters found him. They assured him that he was safe, gave him food and clothing, and flew him home.
That is an extreme example of how fear can imprison a person—but what about you?
What have you avoided for 28 years because of fear?
What has fear kept you from doing in your life?
What would you change today if fear were eliminated?
I say when fear is eliminated—not if—because fear will be eliminated from you, today.
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I LET GO OF FEAR
Help me get past my fears so that I can feel totally alive again.
With help, I now place in the furnace of consciousness all thoughts of fear and doubt.
May I have new belief in what I do not see, and may I have the reward of faith which is to see what I believe.
I make faith my master and reason its maidservant.
POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION:
God frees me and makes me healthy, happy, and vitally alive.
POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE:
"Life isn’t about getting and having, it’s about giving and being." Kevin Kruse