What is YOUR greatest fear?

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind to say the least. I have been very busy at work, which in and of itself is such a blessing! Mikaelyn is in full-blown Fall mode with Dance on Mondays, all-day Kindergarten Tuesday through Friday and Awana started this week on Wednesdays. Somehow, I have this feeling that this little girl is going to keep us VERY busy when she gets older! :o)

This past month has been a bit challenging emotionally for me in several ways and I am still trying to figure out who I am, what I want, what Mikaelyn NEEDS and where I want to be in life, in love and in the Lord. I am being challenged in positive ways that are leading me to the Cross and praying for strength, positive attitude and happiness. Still working on all of that, but I know that the Lord is Faithful and He will bring me to where I need to be as long as I keep my eyes focused on Him!

With all of that being said, a conversation came up the other day that I have thought about very often, especially as of late, but have never verbalized it...

If someone were to ask you, "What's your greatest fear?", what would you say??

My greatest fear?? DEATH!!

As a Christian, we are told that when we die, since we have received Christ into our hearts, we will go to Heaven and we should not fear death as we will then live with Jesus for eternity! Great, right!?! Absolutely, that's amazing!

But here's MY reality...Death itself, TERRIFIES me!! It keeps me awake at night, it's my greatest fear as a mother, a companion, a sister, a niece, a cousin and a daughter!!

The past few months, there has been A LOT of death surrounding me and my friends and people at arms length that I have a connection with on some level. My heart literally ACHES for them and the pain that they must feel losing a son, a brother, a husband, a child, a friend. Death to me is confusing, complicated and hurtful, to say the least. I don't understand death, I don't like it and it scares me!!

If something were to happen to me, I wonder if people would REALLY know who I am, if they would know what I would want to be done with my daughter, who I would want to care for her, and HOW I would want her to grow up? Would they know what to do with my things? Who would comfort them better than I could, but now I'm not there to make them feel better. How would this affect Mikaelyn as she grows older? I NEVER want her to feel the pain of losing someone and DO NOT want her to grow up without a Mother! I question myself if I have given myself to Mikaelyn and Anthony in a way that they deserve and desire so that I would actually leave them with ONLY positive memories of me? Does my family, immediate and extended KNOW how deeply I love them, even if I don't always show it? Do my friends know how MUCH they mean to me? Have I given of myself enough to be remembered for the GOOD and not for the "drama"?

This may all seem so silly and 'morbid', but given the last few months, watching several friends go through such devastating loss', it brings me to a crossroads of what I want MY life to be now and in the future. I want SO much more...I want to be happy, so that if something does happen to me, EVERYBODY will know, how HAPPY and GRATEFUL I am for my life. I fear that right now, I'm not in that place. I put on a good front (I think) on the social sites and at work, but at home the reality is, I am not in a very happy place. I have SO much that I want to do with my life and for my daughter and I feel like I am left in limbo and don't really know which way to turn. I feel like I do not have control over my destiny right now and that is literally driving me crazy! I run from those that challenge me because I don't "feel" like dealing with the things they're telling me and I put on a front like life is GREAT so that I look like I have it all together.

This past week, a friend of mine Jenni, has told her story of what the Lord has done in her life and the bondage that she has been able to get out of with help from her husband, children, friends and more than anything the mercy and forgiveness of the Lord. She has shown me, that in the depths of despair, there IS a way out...there is a way to find happiness. It's not always easy, it can often be painful, and you will most likely have to do things that you don't "want" to do, but there is a way out. She has shown, courage & strength in sharing her story. She has a LONG way to go, as we all do, but she has STARTED her journey to restoration and has been forgiven by the One who REALLY matters, the Lord!

So, I'm being vulnerable right now, sharing my deepest fear and the struggles that are my reality. Where does this lead me? I have no idea...but it's been on my heart and I needed to get it down in writing...for me, that's a release. I don't know where I'm going, or what I'm doing, but I hope that if something does happen to me, that at least my daughter will know how DEEPLY and PASSIONATELY I LOVE HER!!! Regardless of how I may react to her at times, my love for her is only surpassed by the Lord's love for her!

I challenge you to look into your heart and figure out what YOUR greatest fear is and start working through it...you never know what tomorrow holds as the Lord does not promise tomorrow. I have learned this FAR too deeply in recent days. Be HONEST with yourself and start the path towards restoration. It will not be finished today, or tomorrow...it may take the rest of your life, but we HAVE to be honest with ourselves in order to be honest with others!