Fear Not

By Liz Cowen Furman –

We own a small family-run motel near Yellowstone in Dubois, Wyoming. It is one of my favorite places on the planet. We spend our summers there repairing the damage of hired managers and “old building syndrome,” while transforming it back into a profitable business. On our off time we fly fish, rock hound, and go tubing down the Wind River that borders the motel property. To us Dubois is a slice of paradise. It is however, a seasonal business because winters there are brutal.

Last autumn, I was there later in the year than we have usually been. One crisp evening, I was in the lobby checking emails late and hoping for some business when I thought I saw a face peeking in the bottom of the window out of the corner of my eye. We had a prowler earlier in the evening that broke a window, very rare for Dubois, so I was a bit uneasy anyway. When I saw it again I was suddenly too frozen with fear to move. I did what I always do when I am terrified; I started praying scripture out loud (because no one can stand against the Word of God).

As I prayed I mustered the courage to do the thing everyone in a horror movie knows not to do—go toward the threat. Slowly I stood from my chair and grabbing a fireplace poker made my way to the door.

I reached for the handle readying myself to do whatever I needed to (like slam it back shut). I threw open the door when much to my great surprise (and hers) I found myself face to face with a little doe. She was helping herself to the flowers in my pots next to the office door. She was adorable there with a mouthful of late season petunias. I laughed out loud. She had the unmistakable look of a kid with her hand caught in the cookie jar. We stared at each other for a moment or two then she moseyed around to the front of the motel to munch more there. She was just tall enough to look in through the bottom of the office door window.

I went back into the lobby shaking my head at how silly I can be. Getting myself all worked up imagining what might be out there; the preverbal monster under the bed. Isn’t it funny how fear of the unknown paralyzes us? Before I started praying and walked to the door I was glued to my chair in fear.

Every time I start to worry about what will happen with our economy, or our country, or my teenaged children (we have three teenaged boys), or our finances or or or…you get the idea, I have to say to myself out loud what the Bible tells us 365 times. “Do not be afraid.” I run to the Word and look for the passages like Deuteronomy 31:5-7 that say, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” And He does go with us, never forsaking us!