Every Friday, Lisa Jo Baker hosts a blog link up called Five Minute Fridays (FMF). She provides a word prompt and then participants are to set their timers for five minutes and write until the timer goes off. I am so thankful that I found Five Minute Fridays! FMF gives me an opportunity to just “freestyle”!
Many of you have told me that you really enjoy reading the FMF posts! You can read previous FMF posts: HERE.
Today’s word is Afraid.
When I was a little girl, I was AFRAID of the dark, monsters, scary movies, bugs, and big scary dogs. When I became a teenager, I was AFRAID of not having friends, what my boyfriend thought of me and making good grades.
As an adult, finances have a tendency to make me AFRAID. I worry about grades and friendships for my daughters. (Let’s not even talk about boyfriends.) At nearly forty years old, I still have dreams and aspirations that I am AFRAID will not come to fruition.
Everyone feels AFRAID at times. Often, at the point where we feel the most fearful is where we make hasty decisions or react in ways that are not our best.
I just love this quote by Lysa Terkeurst from her book Unglued: “Feelings are indicators, not dictators. They can indicate where your heart is in the moment, but that doesn’t mean they have the right to dictate your behavior and boss you around. You are more than the sum total of your feelings…”
Divas, we ARE more than our feelings. We are bigger than feeling AFRAID. Most of all, we are not alone.
Hebrews 13:5-6 (NIV 1984) …..God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
I am nearing forty myself and can so relate to your feelings about things not coming to fruition. Yes, fear is so crippling and we are bigger than it…thank you for your encouraging words.
I love love LOVE that quote you cited! “Feelings are indicators, not dictators.” I think this will be my new mantra. I am turning 40 in April and so get that whole afraid that my aspirations will never come to fruition. But I’m not willing to let go of them yet! Thanks for the push.
What a wonderful post! I loved your intro. I agree, I can let my emotions, especially fear dictate my behavior. I once heard a pastor say, take all your energey that you would spend worrying and being anxious and use it in prayer. It’s not easy advice to follow, but it’s stayed with me. I love your blog, love that you call your readers “divas” and I loved this post. Great job!
Osheta
if you want to read my FMF on Afraid it’s here:
http://osheta.blogspot.com/2013/02/five-minute-friday-crazy-jesus-werent.html