Baby Steps Fear
Imagine a fish afraid to swim? A bird not able to fly? A little 3 year old Hawaiian... afraid of the water. How can it be? They should go together like blue and the sky. Like blue and the ocean. Yet here she was scared to go near the ocean. I watched as her dad tried to coax her in. Her sister had worse luck yet. Lifting her to her waist and trying to carry her in to the waves. She screamed. Everyone, including me, looked to see what in the world was happening to this little child. There I sat in my comfy chair. Taking it all in. The cool breeze dancing across the waves. The tropical trades gently kissing the palm trees. Their palms waving in response. The waves rolling in and slapping the sand. I was enjoying my day off in paradise. That wonderful smell of salt vastness before me. I was relaxed. Comfortable and enjoying my day... in paradise. Until the scream rang out. How could something so small be so loud? Her sister set her down and joined her friend in the surf. Laughing. Playing and enjoying the beach. I watched. She just stood there. Afraid to move forward. Watching the other kids playing in the ocean. Every time a wave would roll in, she would cower, back away and run toward me. That would last a few seconds as the black sand would burn her tiny little feet. She'd quickly run back toward the cool wet sand seeking relief for her feet. I caught a glimpse of her face. I've seen that look many times. In churches, at work and in work in the scuba pool... Fear. The ugly monster. A fear breathing dragon who knows no prejudice and preys upon everyone. It goes for the emotional jugular of all it's victims. The glazed look in the victim's eyes... gives it away. It feeds off of negative thoughts, fills your head with the "I" can'ts, and makes your palms wet and clammy. Then sweat pours from your forehead, a natural reaction that the body won't shake. I placed my book down as I stood and walked toward her. Just then a wave came in and she turned and ran in my direction. She looked up at me with those eyes. Here on the islands the natives have these huge, beautiful brown eyes. Her's were crying out for help. Filled with fear... "Come on Camry," I said to her as I walked past her. "Come stand with me." I walked to the cool wet sand, being careful to stand at the edge of where the waves were stopping. I pointed down next to my feet. "Stand right here, you'll be safe." She looked at me and then at my feet. I could see the doubt build in those beautiful brown eyes. "It'll be ok. Stand right here," I said as I pointed down next to my feet. She reluctantly walked slowly toward me. Another wave hit the shore but fell short of our toes. I looked down and giggled. "See, no problem. Not even close," I said. She giggled. Then the next wave rolled in and up onto the shore, still falling short of our toes. She didn't move, so I gave her the high five. "Way to go Cam, you did great," I said as I saw her confidence build and another fear hurdle collapse. Being a scuba diver, I knew the next one would be the test. Waves roll in groups of four. The next one would really test her courage. "Ready?" I questioned her. "Here it comes..." The next wave rolled in and over our toes. She grasped my leg and wrapped her little arms tightly around my leg in a "death" grip as the water drained back into the ocean. "Way to go!," I exclaimed, "You did it!" I held my hand up... "Give me 5," I said as I looked at her hand. She jumped up, slapping my palm with her little fingers. Her face lit up like the sunshine on our backs. "Daddy!, Daddy! I did it!," she cried out, "Did you see me?" We stood there for the next few minutes. Her confidence building. Her smiles growing. I looked down and said, "Are you ready? Lets take a step forward together," as I took a step forward. All of a sudden it hit. That familiar look on her face. Ugly fear was up to it's old tricks. "It's ok," I said. "Come on, step up here next to me, stand right here." She took a baby step forward toward my feet. "Ok, here it comes," I said as I heard the next wave crash against the shore. Camry stood there as the water approached us. The water hit my toes and I jumped, splashing her little legs. She giggled with glee and jumped as well, splashing me back. Nothing like a game to distract that old confidence eating monster. I was going to help her slay her dragon with fun, laughter and a game. We stood there for another couple of minutes, jumping, laughing and having a fun time on the shores of paradise. After a few more minutes, once again it was time. "Are you ready? Lets take another step forward together" as I once again took a step forward. "It's ok, come on, stand next to my toes." That's when it hit me. Anyone can overcome their fear. All it takes is a little knowledge and the help of a father. The father. He's always there with us. We know it too. All day long, wherever we go, God goes with us, waiting for us to take that first step forward. He is waiting for us to take that "baby" step toward what scares us, the thoughts and feelings that keep us trapped, and the big, ugly monster that creates those false thoughts in our heads, the "I can'ts" that convince us to not even try. With God standing there next to us, we can do anything. Camry did. She tried and after 40 minutes or so, we were in the waves to her knees. We then began to grab the coral the waves were picking up and bringing to shore and then throwing it back in. Another game to distract her once again from the thoughts that kept her a prisoner of the sand beach. We played for another half hour or so in the surf of the blue water, running in the sand, picking up coral, throwing it back in to the ocean while letting the waves wash over our toes. Amazing how a baby step forward can make all the difference in your life. When you feel it, when your head fills with those scary thoughts, when the monster or your dragon comes slapping up against the shores in your mind and you feel your palms go clammy, and the sweat on your brow, remember my little Hawaiian friend, Camry. If a little three year old can overcome her fear of the big blue ocean, you can face your ugly fear monster. Look up to your father, trust in him to protect you and face your fear. One baby step at a time, you'll move forward and leave that confidence eater behind you... on the shore where he belongs. -- Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore To unsubscribe from this group, send email to recipesandmore+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE ME" as the subject.
