The Fear of the Irrational

I have an irrational fear of sharks.  I'll blame my parents for introducing JAWS at a young age, Ha!  But even as an adult it seems to have followed me into every ocean I have stepped foot into.  Now, even though I know that statistically the chances of being attacked by a shark are roughly 1 in 4.3 million, yes I looked it up.  However, I've seen too many movies that have allowed me to believe that my chances are much higher.  So, when I decided that snorkeling in Hawaii was a good idea I may have had a lapse in judgement.  In my excitement of the beauty I would see, I forgot that sharks lived in the ocean.  I forgot until I was away from the group I was swimming with and my goggles fogged up.  Suddenly the beauty around me was forgotten and the large blurry object I could see in front of me became a Great White Shark and I am pretty sure I inked myself.  I swam with the speed of an Olympian up to the surface of the water and tore the goggles off and was about to scream SHARK!, when my guide pointed down and said "Look, sea turtles!"  My enjoyment of the majestic sea turtles that were swimming was almost completely snuffed out by my irrational fear that I was a shark's lunch.

Having clear sight or clear goggles in my case is the difference between fear and the beauty in front of us.  Without clarity we can so easily get pulled into the old fears that have been buried.  Many times they're completely irrational and the fix is taking off the blurry goggles and being able to once again see clearly.  Have you felt your goggles getting foggy and the fear of what you can't see clearly creeping up on you?  Is it time to get the goggles clear again?

Let me encourage you that we all have goggles that fog up sometimes.  We all have moments when the sea turtle looks like a great white shark.  The only way to get clarity is to take off the goggles and take some time to clear the fog.  Psalm 119:18 "Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law."  Ask the Lord to open your eyes that you may see the wondrous things He has for you and let your fear diminish as He brings clarity and focus.