Your story could make all the difference

What have you been afraid of in the past? What are you afraid of now?

Consider writing a vignette for your memoir about how you cope with fear. How can you inspire your readers to be courageous?

Here are words to get your thoughts going:

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence

by every experience

in which you really stop

to look fear in the face.

You must do the thing

which you think you cannot do.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—

not absence of fear.”

Mark Twain

“We are all brave men and we are all afraid,

and what the world calls a brave man,

he too is brave and afraid

like all the rest of us.

Only he is brave for five minutes longer.”

Alistair MacLean, Scottish novelist

“I will never leave you or forsake you.

Be strong and courageous...”

God (Joshua 1:5-6)

“Be strong and very courageous.”

God (Joshua 1:7)

“Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged,

for the Lord your God will be with you

wherever you go.”

God (Joshua 1:9)

“Only be strong and courageous.”

God (Joshua 1:18)

I suspect that most, if not all, people have a problem with fear, and in light of that, I marvel at what a kind, comforting God we have: He has given us hundreds of Bible verses to help us deal with fear.

Many years ago, I heard that there are 366 Bible verses telling us, in one way or another, "Fear not." That means God has given us one verse for every day, even in leap year!

He longs for us to replace fear with courage, faith-based courage.

Maybe there was a time when you had courage to do nothing more than pray. And that’s okay!  (See 1 Chronicles 17:25 in which King David found courage to pray.) I suspect prayer is the very place each of us should start!

Your story about wrestling with fear—

and triumphing over it (maybe only sometimes)—

is important.

Someone needs to know your story,

someone facing fear,

someone who will deal with fear in the future,

someone who can’t quite take a leap

and do the courageous thing.

Your story can quiet fears.

Your story can help others live with faith and courage.

Your story could make all the difference

in a person’s life.

Your story could lead someone

to take a fresh look

at God,

at life,

at faith.

Your story could change the way

a person lives.

Your story could fortify a timid heart.

Write your story!