COURAGE...8

YOU'RE NOT ALONE

"The commonest and subtlest of all human diseases," a prominent physician said, "is fear."

Fear is an incapacitating, paralyzing disease. We all fear at times, but many carry with them unnecessary and destructive fears.

We're afraid of the unknown.

We're afraid of old age; afraid of growing senile and dependent.

We're afraid of change; afraid to plunge into that new relationship, job or way of life.

We're afraid of the future.

We're afraid to risk; afraid to fail or appear as if we failed.

We're afraid to love; afraid to trust.

We're afraid of closeness; afraid we might get hurt.

We're afraid to die. Like Henry Van Dyke said, "Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live."

Fear is the most devastating enemy of human personality.

But here's the good news: unnecessary fears can be conquered!

Courage to meet fear head-on is actually at our fingertips.

An American slavery abolitionist, Wendell Phillips, made an interesting observation. He noted that it is easy to be brave when all are behind you and agree with you. But the difficulty comes when 99 percent of your friends think you are wrong. Then it is the brave soul who stands up - one among 1,000 - remembering that one with God makes a majority!

You see, courage often comes from simply knowing you are not alone.