Thursday, March 6 Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I DON`T LIKE SPIDERS AND SNAKES

My granddaughters, Nadia, 5, and Zelda, 3, go to school at the Bug Lady`s Science Academy, a STEM-based preschool. There are aquariums and terrariums with numerous bugs, snakes, rodents, turtles and more. There are lots of cockroaches. Carrie, aka the Bug Lady, encourages the children to learn about these unusual classmates and, in theory, not be afraid of them by touching and interacting with them in a controlled environment. I have pictures of the girls holding snakes and putting their hands in bowls full of bugs. There are even tarantulas, and although tarantulas are quite docile, kids aren`t allowed to handle them because they are very fragile and would shatter if dropped.

Some of you might have an intense fear of some of these creatures, and knowing preschool children are being exposed to bugs and snakes may cause anxiety. I suspect the Bug Lady hasn`t “cured” everyone of their fears, and some of the students and their parents still have fears of insects and reptiles. Hopefully though, those fears are moderated by their exposure and education at school.

Fear is part instinct, part learned and part taught. Most people experience fear many times during their lives. The few people who truly don`t experience fear most likely have brain damage or psychological issues. (I didn`t make that up. I read it in Psychology Today.)

So how can we possibly avoid being afraid? I think the answer is, we can`t. But in those times when we find ourselves in a fearful situation, God wants us to remember that even in the worst situations, he is with us; not necessarily to make what is making us fearful go away, but to be a source of comfort and strength as we face those scary situations. There are multiple examples in the Bible of people who have relied on God when they`ve found themselves in fearful situations: Noah, Daniel, David and Joseph, to name a few. They all eventually leaned on God to give them strength.

Loving God, give us strength to deal with situations in our life that make us fearful and help us remember you are always with us, no matter what situation we are dealing with. Amen

Susayn Brandes

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