For some reason this story had me pondering the way we deal with fear in life.
So often fear can have the roar of a hideous beast from a distance.
When confronted up close though, it has the squeak of a mouse.
Whether it’s an IVF cycle, a 2 week wait, or any other challenge life, giving fear it’s proper place in life (which I’d say is maybe a thimble full, since you can’t be brave unless you have some fear) is essential to getting up those mountains we all climb.
I once heard a story of a village where the children were told, “Whatever you do, don’t go near the top of the mountain. It’s where the monster lives.”
One day some brave young men decided they wanted to see the monster and defeat it.
Halfway up the mountain, they encountered a huge roar and terrible stench. Half the men ran down the mountain, screaming.
The other half of the group got farther up the mountain and noticed the monster was smaller than they had expected–but it continued to roar and emit such a stench that all but one man ran away.
As he took another step forward, the monster shrank to the size of a man.
Another step, and it shrank again.
It was still hideously ugly and stank, but the man could actually pick it up and held it in the palm of his hand.
He said to the monster, “Who are you?”
In a tiny, high pitched voice, the monster squeaked, “My name is fear.”