06 April, 2015

Fear is a Funny Thing

I had a really interesting conversation earlier with someone who has not been to the church in years. They told me how much they missed us and the church. I asked where they were going to church and the person told me  they were not going anywhere. I said, "If you are not going to church, and you miss the church, the people and my family, then what's keeping you from coming?"  The person said they were afraid of what people would say if they walked back in after all this time. I stood there for probably 30 seconds just looking at them and finally asked, "Am I missing something?" They said, "What do you mean?"  So I asked if there had been any problem in the church. They said there had not been. I asked if anyone asked them to leave. They no, there had not. So I asked them if since they had left, if anyone had said anything negative to them or about them. They said that they had never heard anything bad from anyone. So I said, "So the only thing keeping you from a place you love and people you love is a fear that somehow someone is going to say or think something bad about you... even though no one has said anything over the last several years? Is that right?"  They stood there looking at me and said, "I guess I've been afraid of nothing, haven't I?" I said, "yes you have" and went on to say that if they walked into the door the only thing anyone is going to say is "Welcome home!"  

Why do we allow unfounded fears to control our lives? I believe it was FDR who once said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!"  I'm sincerely hoping to see these folks back in church real soon!

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