One of my hobbies is distance running. I’ve been hearing more and more about women being attacked while they are running or walking, which has really scared me, to be honest. Especially when I am running on parts of my favorite paths that are more isolated. I do carry pepper spray and have my husband track me while running, but it doesn’t exactly prevent my mind from going all over the place envisioning exit strategies if someone would approach me, or keeping me from looking over my shoulder, or if a strange man passes me, or I pass him… 

My oldest daughter has occasional bad dreams. To me, they are a little silly (last night, her dream was that ants were crawling in her bed), but to her they are scary and result in her not wanting to go back to sleep (which, in turn, results in me not going back to sleep, because she comes into my room every couple of minutes to let me know she can’t sleep). 

Both of these topics got me thinking about faith vs. fear, and what I am teaching my daughters.

We have faith that God watches over us and protects us. But we know things still happen. We have bad dreams; kids get bullied; they get hurt on the playground; school shootings occur, etc. All these things can make us not want to go to sleep—or even leave the house.

I do think some fear is good. Being naive to everything is probably not the best way to live life, but neither is being paralyzed with fear. I am trying to teach my kids that whenever we have fear, that’s when we really have to pray and ask God to help us with it. 

And He will. 

I don’t think my fears are ever fully removed, but God gives me enough peace with them to allow me to continue running and to freely send my kids to school and to activities without having a pit of worry in my stomach. He eased my daughter’s mind last night so that she fell back to sleep.

Perhaps I am not fully letting go of my worries like God has told us to do, but I am trying to show my kids that even when we have fear, we have someone who is right by our side ready to listen and make us feel better. 

So parents, when something is really scaring your kids, talk to them about talking to God. At least right now at my kids’ age, He is as magical as Band-Aids.

Praying for you and your fears,

Sister Stefanie

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.

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