My brother lives in Flat Rock, Alabama where we grew up.  Each time I visit him I love to wake up early Sunday morning and take a walk along the fence that borders his property.  There is one spot in particular I find myself at each time I’m there and it is always a challenge to get to.  It is a food plot he has created for the deer in the area and without fail each time I make it here I am rewarded with something very interesting to see or experience.  I have seen deer, turkeys, fox, bobcats, and praying mantis, snakes, etc.  It is always something I look forward to, but here lately the trip has become more difficult.

        This summer while walking down the narrow path that is bordered by 10 foot high brier patches I came face to face with a rather nasty rattle snake who tried to persuade me to remove this place from my itinerary.  But we had a little talk and he finally allow me to pass (I made him an offer he could not refuse).  Last week these thorns were blocking my path; I do not mean they were near, but they actually were blocking the small passageway through which I had to travel.  And while I was tip toeing my way (rather gracefully I might add) through these impenetrable obstacles I got a little too close and personal to one of these fearful thorns.  And sadly, I was the one left holding the short end of the stick when they began to explain the way things were.

        Have you ever met people like that?  People who were going to run the show, going to call all the shots and made sure you understood who was in charge; intimidating and bossy as they go through life and always looking for an opportunity to put someone in their place; well that was Mr. Thorn and his friends.  So what do we do when the way we must travel is full of thorns or people who just resemble them?  Do we turn back and forget about our goal; do we quit or just forget; or do we face our fears and find a way to keep on going in spite of our fear?  Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.  There is no such thing as bravery; only degrees of fear; bravery is going on in spite of our fear.

        The world is just a bridge that we must pass over; just a passageway that we must walk through; don’t fear what lies beyond or what might be hiding in the weeds, simply; take our Lord’s hand and walk through the obstacles and things that attempt to block your way.  Obstacles are only those frightful things we see when we take our eyes off our goal.  Courage is a choice; keep your eye on the ball and focus on the goal and keep on going forward.

Something to think about:

• The only way to conquer fear is to keep doing the right thing you fear to do.

• Better to face danger once than to be always in fear.

• There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them.

• Faith brings trust that conquers fear.

• Fear makes man believe the worst . . . To the man who is afraid everything rustles.

• Many of our fears are tissue-paper thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them.

• Let us not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless when facing them.

• Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.

Fearful you did not get the point
Rickey Moore