Recently I had face to face encounters with animals that could harm me or my dogs. When I encountered the bear, a Copperhead, and a vicious dog all but two were either curious or nonchalant. The bear looked at me as I did her, with wonder. Her eyes were soft, sensitive, interested…then I freaked out and felt a surge of panic and fear. The snake at the corner of my yard didn’t blink an eye and remained curled without a twitch as I continued to observe her and snap pictures. She remained there for two days and I thought, she is nesting. Fear gripped me to think of bunches of little poisonous Copperheads crawling around our yard. The dog was sitting alertly in the front seat of an opened door utility vehicle, until it spotted our black lab running toward me. Without warning the dog jetted straight on top of my pup with teeth tearing his flank. I panicked and screamed for help. Fear again gripped me.
Three face to face encounters and the only harm from a supposedly domesticated dog. All three of these encounters over the course of two months let me know in certain terms, that I have fear residing within me. At first when I asked myself, what should I know about these confrontations? I thought I have so much fear in me, this is not good. I had to sit with this for a while before I realized: fear of this sort is a powerful ally. It alerts to danger and is a call to action. Living a spiritual life, a life of higher consciousness does not mean that we will be immune from physical danger. It does mean that even if we can’t control our outer environment, we can control our inner environment. My fear subsided after the present danger passed.
Fear that grips us and keeps us weak and vulnerable is not valuable. Fear should serve a purpose, then we should move on past it. One of the fastest ways to dissolve fear is to speak to it directly, asking the question, “I can feel the fear; what is the message?” Once you know this information you can change your belief or change your behavior. Faith overcomes fear, yet we must remember that fear is an emotion with lessons.
Again, remember: We are the peaceful ones we’ve been waiting for. It’s us, a bright light within that illuminates a dark world filled with suffering and fear. We are the light of the Divine, all of us. Many have just forgotten. Let’s wake up and remember who we really are, we are divine, sovereign creators living in this moment on Earth.
“As we let our own light shine, we…give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson
The kingdom of God resides within you. Fear not. Love your enemies and do good to those who mistreat you.
Julia Parsell is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor with an emphasis on the intersection of science and the sacred. She writes from experiences and transformative understandings that have led her to an authentic and peaceful life. She goes by these names: wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, and friend. As a home educator of her three children, she also developed/ran cafes, and maintained various leadership roles within her community. Her greatest desire is to encourage others to live life fully. Her passions are family, writing, and trail blazing. She is happily married in Western North Carolina. Please visit her blog here.
