a view through annie's eyes

I have often heard it said that ultimately there are only two real emotions: fear and love. If you translate that into Christian terms, Christ as Love Himself is the ultimate Peace Giver and Fear Eraser. His perfect love casts out all fear. In our humanness, love often begins with being fearful and vulnerable to the point of pain, and being open enough to be exposed and insecure. Have you ever noticed how a baby is so easily startled? Children are often afraid of so many things, and they slowly learn to trust, if they are loved. Our natural state is to fear, but through our walk growing in Christ, we learn His Love is the answer. It is our life’s journey. It starts with fear and ends in Love.

Love in its purest form, heals. It removes fear and insecurity and vulnerability and takes us on a journey to a place of peace we never thought we would achieve, and certainly not a place we would arrive on our own. Christ as Love Himself is our Supplier and our infilling for this complex and beautiful emotion.

We will eventually come to the warmth of this Truth, one way or another. We all have done it. We set up someone or something to be our savior to love us out of our fear. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly and painfully, but always deliberately, God will lead us to Him. Our life’s path is to one day know Perfect Love as Christ Himself, fully unveiled.

In Bible study last night, one line stood out above all the others. I listened to a repeat of last week on tape and the topic was (again) fear. Beth told of when fear had grabbed her most, God finally brought her to the bottom line. She said God kept asking her to keep answering “If ___then what?” I might not make it. I will be alone. I will be so hurt. I will just lose it altogether. I could die. Fear invokes so many different responses, none of them terribly pleasant. But keep asking, “And then what?” When you get to the last, “And then what?” The answer is always the same. “And then, God.” It ends so well. We, who are in Christ, live happily ever after. Even if we are fearing death itself, it ends the same. And then, God.