Fear grips everyone. Some fear is positive, as it contributes to our survival. However, most often fear takes hold of our emotions and becomes an excuse to live in a “safe zone”. We miss out on many things that could bring us joy. Extreme fear immobilizes and imprisons our soul. Furthermore, fear is often a tool of oppression and manipulation for those who are hungry for power over others.

Movie icons that embody overcoming fear include the Cowardly Lion (Wizard of Oz), and Young Simba (Lion King), Remember the movie “Silence of the Lambs” with Jodi Foster? Her character had to repeatedly face enormous fears to work as an FBI agent. Last night I watched the movie, “The Man Who Knew Infinity”, which contrasted two people: one who faced fear and another who did not. The eagle is a classic image that denotes lack of fear. Fearless movie icons include James Bond and Katniss in the “Hunger Games.”

Endless Biblical stories address the matter of overcoming fear. A few in the Old Testament: Jonah and the Whale, Ruth, Daniel in the Lion’s Den. From the New Testament: Apostles upon seeing Jesus walking on the water.

Serial travelers may look fearless as they wander into the unknown, experience new settings and meet new people. Don’t be fooled by the cool exterior. Travelers and RV full timers feel fear too. Some examples:

• Being stranded
• Foreign cultures
• Different languages
• Encountering bad guys
• Stumbling on wild animals in the woods
• Vehicle accident
• Flat tire in the middle of nowhere
• Being alone/lonely

My own fears include

• Creepy crawling things that also like warm climates
• Injuring myself in the woods, while alone
• Boredom

Travelers face many fears. If normal fears are not enough, the reactions of others can create fear. Who hasn’t heard, “you can’t do that”, or “is that safe” from well-intentioned folks?

The difference between those who seem fearless and those who are limited by fear is simply a desire to overcome fear. Deliverance from fear is another part of the life/spiritual journey. To be clear, being fearless, which is an abnormal condition, is not the goal. Rather, the goal is deliverance from fear, which means not being immobilized. Here are some suggestions based on my own experiences and those I have ministered with.

Confronting fear – so, imagine a newborn, weak horse. It must get up on those wobbly legs to survive. So it is with fear. Stand up. Admit you are fearful of something. Express a desire, no matter how unlikely, to overcome that fear. This was my recent approach to the Golden Orb and Banana Spiders that frequent the woods where I live. I was immobilized in fear. However, to live and work here, I had to overcome that fear. At first, I thought about fleeing to a drier climate. Not acceptable. I love this place. So, instead, I said to myself, “I don’t know how, but I will get over this fear”. I am not totally there yet, but I have come a long way. Last week I was driving my HOV 4-wheeler and one of those buggers was hanging from the rear view mirror. He had been there for several miles. I stopped, got out and found a big stick. I wound up and swung at that critter with immense force like I was at bat in the World Series. The spider went flying many yards and I moved on. I am getting empowered! Confront the fear and you will slowly work through it.

Faith – I firmly believe that we must have faith in something other than ourselves. I am not worked up about the name of one’s faith or any particular worship style. God works differently in people. Faith is important because it gives you a backbone. It gives an understanding that you are not alone. Consider the wobbly Hobbit in the “Lord of the Rings “trilogy. Only faith in something bigger kept him going. His faith was momentarily shaken when Gandalf died, but he found a way to walk with the wizard’s spirit. Faith is not weakness. It brings strength.

Trust your judgment – Before my two trips to Europe, people asked me if I feared traveling alone. I truly do not and that is because I trust my judgment. I have written about this before. I scout out a place before stopping and check out who is there and the vibe of the place. If I don’t like it, I move on. I trust my instincts.

Create a routine – I am living alone in the woods now. An RV is not especially secure. In fact, screens sometimes just fall out of the windows with the slightest nudge. Still, I am not fearful out here partly because I have a routine. At night I still lock the door, plug-in the phone beside the bed and give my little watch dog a big hug. I tell him to take could care of us. I double-check the items below. Routine works in all travel situations.

Be prepared – At one point I was afraid of traveling alone. I decided to buy a couple of Tasers. I keep one by the bed, the other in the van. They wouldn’t really help me much, but I feel secure with them. I also keep my newest weapon—a can of Hot Shot wasp spray—nearby, which I use on spiders. I would also use it on other critters if needed. I confronted my fear of breaking my leg or other mishaps while hiking solo by purchasing a personal locator beacon.

Check the facts and statistics – In Idaho, I heard, “Aren’t you afraid of grizzly bears?” Yes, frankly. So I read everything I could find online about grizzlies. I also read books by grizzly researchers and ecologists. I learned that Grizzlies are truly back country beasts who shun humans. I also considered the stats: how many people have lethal encounters with Grizzlies vs. how many people are out there in the woods. The odds are slim that I would ever see a Griz unless I was looking for one. The same strategy works for other fears. Afraid of flying? Consider how many people fly vs. how many die each year in a plane crash. The odds are with you surviving, by a long shot.

Talk to others – You have permission to ask others who have been where you want to go! Their experiences can help you overcome travel fears.

Remove yourself from dominant sources of fear – Television, especially news programs and the Internet generate all kinds of fear. Who would go out at all if they believed half the stuff out there. Aliens, Armageddon, man-eating bacteria, zombies. Pull the plug. Don’t give your personal power to manipulative media.

Finally, take risks. Go out there. Make a reservation to fly off to somewhere cool. Walk in the woods for a quarter-mile. Be courageous. Make a bucket list and start working it.

People who seem fearless simply think differently. They also find a well of courage within. All of us can get there like the meek and mild Clark Kent who becomes Superman. Let’s live our dreams too by conquering fear.

Sunday Reflections are filed under Back Road Faith, on the main menu. Thanks for reading.

Copyright Rev. Jane Willis, 2016