What Do You Fear?

My oldest two children will be participating in a speech contest tomorrow morning at an FFA competition.  My son is using this story as an introduction, and I wanted to share it with you:

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Two old geezers lived in the backwoods of the Ozarks: Rufus and Clarence.  They lived on opposite sides of the river and hated each other. Every morning Rufus and Clarence would go down to their respective sides of the river and yell at each other.

"Rufus!" Clarence would shout, "You better thank your lucky stars that I can’t swim, er I’d swim this river and whup you!"

"Clarence!" Rufus would holler back, "You better thank YOUR lucky stars that I can’t swim, er I’d swim this river and whup YOU!"

Every morning. Every day. For 20 years.

The Army Corp of Engineers came along and built a bridge at the river, but the insults continued every morning.  Every Day.  Another five years.

Finally, Mr. Rufus’ wife had had enough. "Rufus!" she squallered one day, "I can’t take no more! Every day for 25 years you’ve been threatenin’ to whup Clarence. Well, thar’s the bridge! Have at it!"

Rufus thought for a moment. Chewed his bottom lip for another moment.

"Woman!" he declared, "I’m gonna whup Clarence!"

He walked out the door, down to the river, came to the bridge, walked about halfway over the bridge, then turned tail and ran screaming back to the house.  He slammed the door, bolted the windows, grabbed the shotgun and dove under the bed.

"Rufus!" cried the missus. "I thought you was gonna whup Clarence!"

"I was, woman, I was!" he whispered.

"What in tarnation is the matter?"

"Well," whispered the terror-stricken Rufus, "I walked halfway over the bridge and saw a sign that said, “’Clearance, 13 feet, 6 inches.’ He ain’t never looked that big from the other side of the river!"

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Have you ever hesitated at an opportunity? Has something ever caused you to pause because it was a whole lot bigger than you thought it was? Often times the things we fear aren't really as scary as we imagine them to be, yet we let the fear of it immobilize us. 

God tells us over and over:  Do not fear.  I am with you.  I will give you strength.  Yet time after time, we chicken out or turn away and run.

What fear do you need to face?  What is keeping you from facing your fear?  Is your fear causing you to doubt God's promises?

Cross the bridge and face it!  Not with self-confidence, but with GOD-confidence.  He will help  you!

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid

Psalm 27:1