Casting Fear Aside

Zek : Mommy, I want to ride the airplane now.
Menchie : Why?
Zek : Hmm, because I want to be with Daddy in China.

My wife narrated to me this heart-warming short conversation with Zek while they were still in the Philippines and I went to China a few weeks ahead of them. They just woke up in the morning and were still on the bed. It pretty sounded normal for a child who is missing a parent, right? Well in his case, it is a little more special.

It all started when he was about 3 years old when he started to realize and act out, without any prior traumatic experience at all, his apparent fear of flying. From then on, riding the airplane has become a horrible and frightful moment for him and a challenging situation for us with all his relentless loud cries and sniffing sobs. My wife has to develop a sort of pre-flight mind-conditioning technique days ahead just to prep him up in his other succeeding flights. But needless to say, this step only took out very less fear from him because as soon as the planes powerful jet engines roars, his fear takes over again.

But my son surely misses my company. We always play together, wrestled on the bed, play with his Lego toys, study some of his lessons, go out and ride the car together to accompany my wife to the grocery shops and a lot more. And so after a few days away from our routines, he was missing my presence more than enough to cast aside his most dreaded fear of riding the airplane.

Zek's love for me over-came his fear.

As an adult, particularly as a father and husband, I must admit that I have my fair share of fears and worries, mostly concerning about the daily and financial provisions for my family and loved ones. I am anxious about each and everybody's health, Zek's homeschooling progress, work-related problems, my daily driving routes and pretty much anything that crosses my mind through the any given day. And when everything starts to be well and blessed, I would inadvertently worry about what's going to go wrong next and what the near future holds for us. As a result of these, I am sometimes distracted and unfocused becoming less productive and drifting away from my vision and mission in life. Silly, silly me.

Our Lord provides.
Our Lord guides.
Our Lord fills.
Our Lord quenches.
Our Lord's blessings and graces are endless and limitless and our Lord does everything that is necessary even before I ask.

So why should I worry? Why should I fear? And how can I set aside this fear?

1 John 4: 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love

In his innocence, my son reminded me once again that love is the answer, that when love takes over, fear can be conquered and be set aside. If I let myself be kept in God's loving presence, I can face all my worldly concerns and anxieties with utmost confidence and inherent calmness.

God's love is enough for all of us.
I must stop worrying.
I must start loving instead.

We all must do.

God bless us.