Marching On - Conquering the Fear of the Unknown

Tragedy or illness strike when we least expect it.  Changes to our life happen.  Our children, parents, friends and loved ones make decisions that we are fearful to support.  The world continues to rotate while wars rage on, children live in hunger, and stories of genocide are heard.  Communities are dealing with astronomical destruction here and abroad.   We go through our lives day in and day out watching praying, and hoping for the two constants to each day – sunrise and sunset.  We march on.

I have two friends who, nearly at the same time, had their worlds changed.  One was the victim of a traumatic injury, and the other has received a diagnosis that he was hoping would be wrong.  It wasn’t.  While the world continues to turn, and chaos ensues, they march on.  They march on because they can.  They march on because there is no alternative but to march on and make the absolute best of their situations.  They march on because they have families, friends, and loved ones whom they want to live long, happy lives with.  They march on.

I know of a young man who is considering enlisting with the Marines.  This is a notion that is truly worrisome to his mother and to his entire family.  The fear of the unknown is often the worst type of fear.  It makes us jump to conclusions.  It makes the young man think that the Marines are his only option, and it makes his family feel as though the Marines are a one way ticket to tragedy.  The fear of the unknown presents itself, but they march on.

I know of others who are experiencing life changing events.  Families moving away, children going off to college, friends suffering from the end stages of a long term illness, people experiencing unemployment or underemployment, but they march on.

We march on because we have faith.  Faith that God’s loving hand will guide us.  As Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, “For truly I tell you, if you have faith  the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you”.

We must tell the mountain to move out of our way and remember that nothing is impossible for us.  We must march on.