Tell That Fear to Just Wait

Turn Away from Fear—It Can Wait 

If You’re Afraid of the Dark,

Turn on the Light

It’s Okay to Avoid Those Hurt Places,

Those Tender Spots

“The Englishman said slowly, ‘I don’t know. I’m not sure I agree with you. It seems to me that hurt of any sort rather eats into you, like an acid, when you try to ignore it. There’s something in facing it. As though the energy you bring to it were healing.’ ” ~ Richard Tordell in Golden Apples, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

What do we do with hurt that “eats into” us? We are warned that it can fester and grow and become more powerful. (It can, but not always.) Some motivational speakers and writers have stated that fear and hurt are wake-up calls in our lives; that it’s important to look our fears square in the face, eye-to-eye, challenge them, and move on, better, stronger, more ready and able to face new challenges.

Value can be gained from such actions, especially when the fear is transformed and becomes a path toward gratitude and even healing in our lives.

But dealing with fears at the wrong time and in the wrong place can bring forth even more hurt, more pain. Choosing the right time to act and then doing so is essential. Not every fear must be addressed head-on in the moment in which it occurs. All fears don’t necessarily turn to an acid that wears away at our being. Fears can put us on notice that change is necessary. Just as it is important to determine when and how to run from a wild animal or whether to confront it, timing is beneficial when changing fear to action, when letting fear change us and move us in a positive direction.

To all things there is a season. Facing what gives us pause in the dark might not always be necessary. We have the option of turning on the light. When it’s time, in due time, and the right time, we can square off against those moments of dread in the night and in our lives that make our hearts race and our thoughts grind. In that way, we achieve the change, peace, calm, and comfort that our fears remind us is what we really want and need.