Are You Afraid?
Have you ever felt fear?
I had been in Brazil for a few months and was just beginning to feel comfortable with the strange culture when my missionary companion and I arrived home late one evening. My companion was getting some food in the kitchen when I went up the dark stairs alone. It was when I reached the hall at the top of the stairs that I sensed something rushing towards my head in the darkness, fast. I was overwhelmed with terror - not a roller coaster adrenaline rush type of fear, or the kind of fear from which you can run away screaming. The only sound I could get out was a strangled gasp. I never thought to wonder if it was a panther pouncing or a maniac swinging an ax. This was a mind numbing, body paralyzing kind of fear. I was petrified. It wasn't until after it swooped past my ear and out the open window behind me that I was able to turn around and see the bat winging off into the night and then make my shaky way back down the stairs to the comfort of a lighted room and human companionship.
My moment of overwhelming terror lasted only a few seconds. What if it lasted for hours? Or days? Weeks? Months? Years?
What if the source of uncontrollable terror wasn't just a bat unexpectedly indoors in the dark? What if a person was terrified of something more common - like spiders? or open spaces? or the dark? or dentists? or technology? or public speaking? or tight spaces? or heights? What if it is an abusive spouse or a secretly abusive parent? What if a person is terrified of difficult situations? of strangers? of people in general? of the unknown? of life?
Over time, how does sustained terror affect a person? Does a person acclimatize to it? Is it possible to get over it? Or does it remain overwhelming? Mind numbing? Paralyzing? Does it become a challenge to get out of bed in the morning? Do seemingly small or simple tasks seem impossible to do? Do thoughts of suicide start creeping in because living with constant terror is unbearable and the numbed brain can't analyze the situation and find another way to escape?
My heart breaks for veterans, refugees, hostages, kidnapped children, those who have been abused, for victims of acts of terrorism, those with mental disorders.
One thing I know is that I should never, ever judge someone for being afraid. Fear comes from somewhere deep in the subconscious mind and permeates the entire body. It isn't always easily controlled. I don't know the circumstances or the perceptions that cause certain events to be fearful for another person. My missionary companion could have said, "It's just a bat. They're no big deal." She might not have understood that I had no experience with bats outside of zoos before that moment. She might not have understood the stress and discomfort I was already experiencing being in a strange country surrounded by people whose language I was still struggling to learn. I appreciated her acknowledging that I had been frightened and not mocking me for it.
One way to overcome fear is through knowledge. If I hadn't been in the dark that night in Brazil, simply seeing a bat in my house would not have been nearly as scary. Knowledge and understanding cast light on things that scare us, and the more we know about something can help to make that thing less scary.
Fear was probably developed to help keep us safe. It isn't hard to imagine a biological reason why a fear of heights or tight spaces might have been genetically implanted in our brains. Sometimes even irrational seeming fears could be warnings of threats perceived by our subconscious. The body's response to fear is supposed to aid in survival. A rush of adrenaline could give strength to run or fight off an attacker. The paralyzing response is more like that of a rabbit - to freeze, to hide, and hope that the enemy doesn't see you.
Another way to overcome fear is to learn to trust in the Lord. When we believe in God, and show we truly trust in Him by trying to keep his commandments, then we can trust that he is watching out for us. Horrible things may still happen to us - Daniel was cast into a lion's den (Dan 6:10-23), Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were thrown into a fiery furnace (Dan 3:8-23), but the Lord will be with us to comfort us and help us. As Paul told the Philippians, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil 4:13)
I had been in Brazil for a few months and was just beginning to feel comfortable with the strange culture when my missionary companion and I arrived home late one evening. My companion was getting some food in the kitchen when I went up the dark stairs alone. It was when I reached the hall at the top of the stairs that I sensed something rushing towards my head in the darkness, fast. I was overwhelmed with terror - not a roller coaster adrenaline rush type of fear, or the kind of fear from which you can run away screaming. The only sound I could get out was a strangled gasp. I never thought to wonder if it was a panther pouncing or a maniac swinging an ax. This was a mind numbing, body paralyzing kind of fear. I was petrified. It wasn't until after it swooped past my ear and out the open window behind me that I was able to turn around and see the bat winging off into the night and then make my shaky way back down the stairs to the comfort of a lighted room and human companionship.
My moment of overwhelming terror lasted only a few seconds. What if it lasted for hours? Or days? Weeks? Months? Years?
What if the source of uncontrollable terror wasn't just a bat unexpectedly indoors in the dark? What if a person was terrified of something more common - like spiders? or open spaces? or the dark? or dentists? or technology? or public speaking? or tight spaces? or heights? What if it is an abusive spouse or a secretly abusive parent? What if a person is terrified of difficult situations? of strangers? of people in general? of the unknown? of life?
Over time, how does sustained terror affect a person? Does a person acclimatize to it? Is it possible to get over it? Or does it remain overwhelming? Mind numbing? Paralyzing? Does it become a challenge to get out of bed in the morning? Do seemingly small or simple tasks seem impossible to do? Do thoughts of suicide start creeping in because living with constant terror is unbearable and the numbed brain can't analyze the situation and find another way to escape?
My heart breaks for veterans, refugees, hostages, kidnapped children, those who have been abused, for victims of acts of terrorism, those with mental disorders.
One thing I know is that I should never, ever judge someone for being afraid. Fear comes from somewhere deep in the subconscious mind and permeates the entire body. It isn't always easily controlled. I don't know the circumstances or the perceptions that cause certain events to be fearful for another person. My missionary companion could have said, "It's just a bat. They're no big deal." She might not have understood that I had no experience with bats outside of zoos before that moment. She might not have understood the stress and discomfort I was already experiencing being in a strange country surrounded by people whose language I was still struggling to learn. I appreciated her acknowledging that I had been frightened and not mocking me for it.
One way to overcome fear is through knowledge. If I hadn't been in the dark that night in Brazil, simply seeing a bat in my house would not have been nearly as scary. Knowledge and understanding cast light on things that scare us, and the more we know about something can help to make that thing less scary.
Fear was probably developed to help keep us safe. It isn't hard to imagine a biological reason why a fear of heights or tight spaces might have been genetically implanted in our brains. Sometimes even irrational seeming fears could be warnings of threats perceived by our subconscious. The body's response to fear is supposed to aid in survival. A rush of adrenaline could give strength to run or fight off an attacker. The paralyzing response is more like that of a rabbit - to freeze, to hide, and hope that the enemy doesn't see you.
Another way to overcome fear is to learn to trust in the Lord. When we believe in God, and show we truly trust in Him by trying to keep his commandments, then we can trust that he is watching out for us. Horrible things may still happen to us - Daniel was cast into a lion's den (Dan 6:10-23), Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were thrown into a fiery furnace (Dan 3:8-23), but the Lord will be with us to comfort us and help us. As Paul told the Philippians, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil 4:13)
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