fear

I've been battling with fear lately - fear of entering the unknown, fear for my safety, fear of leaving my family and what may happen while I'm away.  Fear almost kept me from applying to teach overseas in the first place. But I remembered a conversation I had with my college professor who had taught for 12 years in Korea and loved it. He just said, "Don't let fear hold you back."
Now here I am at this point, and fear is creeping back in. I was reading my Bible the other day, and the chapters I came to were Numbers 13 and 14, where the Israelites send scouts to check out Canaan, the land God promised to the Israelites.  But when they explored the area, fear overcame them because of the size and strength of the people there.  So they came back with a report that they should not try to take the land, but two of the men did believe they could and should take it. That generation of Israelites spent the rest of their lives wandering in the desert, and Caleb and Joshua were the only ones allowed to enter the Promised Land.  I thought it was such a God thing that I read this passage! These chapters reminded me that God has placed this huge experience in front of me, and He is the One who will equip me to enter into it.  If I let fear hold me back, I am missing out on an incredible opportunity to trust God's faithfulness.  By having faith in Him, I can honor Him and give Him the glory as He works through me.

Here's a song that always helps me refocus: