Dreams die in fear’s grip
Like moulting birds in cages
One key frees us all
“Perfect love drives out fear” 1 John 4:18
Fear
Fear Haiku 1
Old chains lie heavy
Caked in a layer of rust
Our fear leaves us bound
Lost
Cold was the light of the stars
As the bitter winds whipped through the open fields
I was a lone tree on an empty moor
Exposed to the wickedness of the dark
I said that I knew the way back
I said that I knew better
My proud heart had poisoned my well of trust
And now I drank its bitter gall
Fear stalked me as I walked
Its foul breath on the back of my neck
Its tendrils reached out to grab me
To squeeze and shake me like a rag doll
My hands shook as I typed the number
I did not know if it was the cold or the terror
It rang once and then twice
Each ring feeling like an eternity
“Hello?”
I choked back the lump in my throat
And the pride in my heart
And I asked for help
“Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.” Psalm 30:2
The Storm Inside
The storm whipped up around me
Swirling up bitter winds and biting rains
As I shivered in its centre
A fiercer storm awoke in me
It accelerated far quicker than the outer
Gathering angry, black clouds
Staining the blue skies of my heart
Like charcoal on a white dress
Fear began to build in the atmosphere
And let rip with large roars of thunder
Discharging panic through me
Like lightning rippling through the frantic air
Through it all You waited
Waited for me to trust You
As my worries like a whisk
Kept my inner storm spinning
I cried out and thunder stopped to listen
The lightning froze in its path
I won’t carry this burden any more
I won’t let what I can’t control steal my peace
The winds began to drop
Calm descended from above
As You dealt with the storm outside
Inside I could see the blue skies
Shining through again
Tomorrow
It looms ominously
A black cloud on the horizon
Silently it sweeps across the sky
Until there is no more light
Just a sheet of darkness and dread
You can’t look beyond it
The insurmountable mountain
The future only brings fear
Stress is a filthy rat
Gnawing at the knot of your heart
Like a stone your stomach drops to the depths
Whatever awaits you
When the sun rises up again
Whatever you fear
Know that you are never alone
“…I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua 1:5 (NIV)
Secrets
We hide them away
In the recesses of our heart
Out of sight
Out of mind
But we don’t realise
That in the darkness they grow
Grow to dominate our thinking
And shape our identity
They bubble to the surface
In any moment of weakness
We try to keep them submerged
But their ripples distort everything we see
Let go
Of the need to hide
Of the fear of rejection
Take back control of your life
We let go
And the wounds of our past
Heal up into scars
And we can move on
Guardian of Peace
Fear is the thief
Outside the heart’s door
Waiting patiently for a chance
To force his way in
A thought of worry
Flickers through your mind
You let it settle
Allow its whisper to linger
The smallest crack appears in the door
Fear smashes his way in
He ransacks the place
Taking your confidence, your dare, your initiative
He packs your hopes and dreams into his bag
He strips everything he can
Doing whatever he can to halt your progress
Your path becomes clouded
As plumes of worry sweep over
So much uncertainty
So much that could go wrong
You turn back from the opportunity
Fear is the thief
Outside the heart’s door
Waiting patiently for a chance
To force his way in
A thought of worry
Flickers through your mind
You stand firm
You focus on the promises of God
Drawing strength like water from a well
You won’t let Fear have his way
Peace stands guard
At the door of your heart
Filling you with calmness
Keeping Fear at a distance
Enabling you to step forward
And seize the moment
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 (NIV)
Sheep Pen
The barriers of fear are like a sheep pen
They limit your progress
And keep you trapped
They contain your influence
And curtail your experience
It keeps you eating the same old mundane grass
When God has endless new pastures for you
It teaches you to take comfort in numbers
When God has called you to walk new paths
Fear says you will never be hurt
If you follow its rules
If you stay within its walls
But it will shear off your individuality, starve your ambition and cripple your dreams
It will stop you from getting the best God has for you
And it will stop the world from getting the best of you
Jesus is the shepherd
And He has opened the pen gate
Walk out, break free and live the life God has for you
Fear
Concealed in the mist Fear waits
Looking for any ship that dares to leave the island
Its tattered black flags flutter
The skull and crossbones embossed on them
The creaking wood of its bow echoes in the silence
As it waits for its victims
Ships veer widely at the sight of it
Consumed by panic at this deathly ship
As they swing round to retreat
It is only then that Fear moves in
Gliding through the waters like a ghost
Heading for them at breakneck speed
Though its sails hang limply on its mast
But it never attacks
Not once has it fired its black cannons
The ships, in their wild frenzy, are driven into the rocks
And sink into the depths
And Fear drifts quietly back to its outpost
But sail straight towards it
Holding your course as the ship bears down on you
And suddenly it will begin to turn
As it sees that you have not turned back
Disappearing into the swirling mist
Never to be seen again
