Fear Not

This week-end I had the privilege to attend an art retreat.  It was wonderful to get together with a group of like-minded women and paint to one's heart content.  Artists are wonderful people, we understand one another and we support and cheer one another on.  We understand the struggle the other artists are going through.  As is the case with such retreats, wonderful things are revealed to us about ourselves, and in the process we grow and at the end we all leave there enriched and inspired.  One such a revelation was shared with the group by Emily.  Although Emily had been very excited to join the retreat, she experienced a blockage.  We all could sympathize with her as most of us have experienced such blockages in the past.  We all tried to encourage her and shared some of our own journeys with her, all the while trying not to put any pressure on her.  We understood that she has to find her own path to her creativity.  On Sunday morning we could see that Emily was feeling excited and upon inquiry  she shared her aha moment with us.  It was during her early morning quiet time that the Lord revealed to her that she was blocked because of her fear.  To this she readily admitted.  She was indeed feeling afraid, but she did not understand why.  It was then that the Lord showed her that it was because of her unbelief.  Unbelief, she first cried out.  Surely not!  She absolutely believed in the Lord and His guidance and help.  Yet, that was not the complete truth, the Lord pointed out.  There was still a sliver of unbelief and it was that unbelief which lead to fear and that in turn gave rise to her creativity being blocked.  What a revelation.  Emily had to admit this weakness.  Surrounded by all the resources, the time and the encouragement of friends, Emily had no other excuse but to admit that she did not have complete faith.

Once she faced the root of her fear, she could step forward into trust and safety.  The happy ending to this was that Emily set herself free from the blockage and spent the rest of the day painting.

How often do we not sabotage our own creativity and dreams by our unbelief?  We have a vision for our lives, but we fear taking action because we do not trust our abilities, we do not belief in our talents and we have no faith in our Creator who had given us these gifts.  Instead we languish on the side while we watch others living the lives we long to be living.

Maybe it is time to face those obstacles blocking our path and take action against them instead of believing that their is no way past them.

Come on, go for it.  Fear not.