Facing our fear
Young children here at Wright’s Chapel who are curious will often ask me what it is I do all week in my job. Some of them who mainly see me on Sunday mornings have told me that they think they’d like to be a minister when they grow up, since you only have to work one day a week. When I hear that I’ll always encourage them to be a minister, because I do love what I do. But I also try to explain to them that there’s a little more to the job than just a favorable work week. There are lots of different things I do each week, but I do spend a good bit of time preparing for that one day of worship, reading, studying, listening and writing. That prep work is not always the most exciting part of my week, but I have enjoyed preparing for this sermon series that I started a couple of weeks ago “Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope”. It has been inspiring to read the stories of scripture of those who faced their fears and walked through them with God. I’ve read of Moses and Noah and David and Paul and Silas. It has been inspiring to be reminded of those in our nation’s history who because of their faith in God have stood up when nearly everyone else sat down in fear. Our faith in God can play a huge part in confronting and conquering our fears. This series has helped me to see even the little ways in our own community and in our church that people have stepped up in the face of their fears and been faithful to the call of God.
This week I was over at our thrift store that we opened just 3 months ago, Cindy’s Closet. I thought of the fear, the risk that Rene and Kim and several others, were willing to take on, to try and open that store. That was a big responsibility, opening a small business, leasing a space for a year. They were staring in the face of a huge commitment of time and energy, with no guarantee of success. That’s scary! But those who took that risk have a vision of what God is doing and all the good that we can do through this ministry. Most of the proceeds from the sales are benefiting Wright’s Chapel ministry’s as we reach out to children and youth and try to make disciples of Jesus. But Cindy’s Closet is also giving proceeds away to other important non-profit groups who are seeking to make our community better. This past week they sent coats and sweat shirts to the homeless ministry we work with in Fredericksburg. There is a vision to expand and serve more of the disabled of our community with job training skills. In another month they will be hosting young women from our schools and helping to make their prom special as they give out dresses to young women who may struggle to purchase one. Cindy’s Closet will be involved in hosting a spring dance for special needs kids in our community who never get the opportunity to have a special night out.
David, when facing the giant Goliath, kept his focus on God. Oh David, he saw the huge giant in front of him for sure, but in his fear, when he looked real hard, he saw more of God than he saw of the giant. When we too keep our focus on God there is no telling all the good we can do for God and there is no telling all the fearful giants we will conquer.