SHELTER

SHELTER

“What if” is a shelter where many seek refuge from life. “Suppose I do this, and this happens? What will they think if I do that? What if I do that and they don’t like it or me? The possibilities for the “What if” to be positive or negative are equal. Neither should overshadow the other. BUT the negative most often overshadows. We choose to give it more attention.

The ultimate life’s goal, no matter one’s age, ought to be to leave no feeling unfelt, no voice of life unheard, nothing within the personal biosphere unloved …  to reach a point where moments are the heart’s desire, where knowledge has made a quantum leap to knowing, where joining is preferred over watching, where the line between seeking and being blurs and where struggling to find truth becomes the truth of the struggle. THAT IS A LOT TO DIGEST. Residing in the shelter of, “What if,” the goal is unreachable. And here is why.

“What if” can cause stagnation. It keeps one in the house behind the locked door of what MIGHT HAPPEN. Let’s be clear, some are just as afraid of the good as they are of the bad. People who live life sheltered by “What If,” look through the window and watch life. Consider this; those living in the shelter of “What if,” may have issues with control. One can’t control what might happen. Trying to control it is to risk living a dull life.

Most of us were raised to embrace life dutifully, responsibly, and then die. Others were raised to embrace life with a bit more zest and risk taking and then die. Either way – death is the destination. What happens when “What if” speaks, determines the life experience. Do we watch or do we live life? What keeps one in the sheltered place?

May I suggest fear: fear of rejection, failure, being ignored, disappointment. One way to conquer fear is to build a tolerance to it. The only way to build tolerance is to step outside the shelter of “What if” and away from its shadow… to walk toward the fear.

The person that I raised to adulthood embraced his fear of what might happen to his skin if he got a tattoo. He now has more than enough, at least in my opinion.

Embracing fear of any kind adds depth and sparkle to life. Overcoming fear is what makes your life unique and interesting. I have yet to read the autobiography of a “What if” person. But then “What if” people don’t author books! What if they write a book and it is rejected?

Philippians 4:6

PONDER THIS THOUGHT---What if the “what if" is what is supposed to happen?

FEAR CONQUERED