Do not be afraid, if only it were that simple. Fear is an invitation to faith. It offers a choice between controlling behavior and trust. We can let fear digress into anxious mental looping or acknowledge it and move forward.
Raven teaches us more than how to merely cope with situations or even cure the symptoms of our challenges. Raven takes us all the way through to healing and wholeness.
There’s a catch. We must be willing to enter the void. There, we meet Fear and listen until we can hear a truer Self, that spark of divinity inside of us that whispers, “This way.”
Carefully observing Fear, until we find the Sacred within it, opens us to opportunities to exercise faith. Whether it be faith in God, Universe or other people, once we allow our fears to inform us, we have the option to work with them or be surprised at our desperate attempts to feel superior, by passively manipulating or erupting in rage, belittling anyone who triggers all the little fears we’ve successfully hidden away.
Raven is nourished by digesting things that need cleaning up in the ecosystem. Likewise, the personal debris we fully digest, serves us and also our communities.
Meeting Fear with courage builds confidence. When things go well, we press on, trusting that all will be well. And when life disappoints us, we learn.
So, if it is an invitation to Faith, why do we refuse to face Fear?
Choosing to believe the best in people and then feeling duped one too many times, may make us wary of trusting again. If; however, we consider the wisdom these experiences imparted to us, we understand that being real is enough. Then, we are able to focus on intentions that expand beyond our smaller lives.
Though offloading our fears onto other people gives an illusion of power, it shields us from new insights, and more importantly the healing that can only come with being true. Fear is that friend that nudges us toward faith, for somewhere in our darkest shadows are our brightest gifts.
Making Spirit Flesh*
Rather than attaching to the emotion, try objectively observing Fear. Listen. What invitation does Fear hold for you?