Fear, and the lack thereof

I'm sitting in my car next to the Observation Deck at RDU airport, the place I used to go to most often when I needed to clear my head or when I was upset or needed to think (and admittedly still do). Its pouring out, and I'm still foolishly considering going to stand outside to watch the planes come in, but I'm only here for a short while while I'm waiting to pick up pops.

I watched most of "Fruitcake and Ice Cream" earlier, a talk by Giglio from Passion World Tour 08'. If you haven 't seen it, you need to. It's an inspiring sermon on Grace, with an incredibly powerful story at the end about someone accepting grace for the first time. In his Sermon, Giglio talks about the perceived moment when we arrive at "the pearly gates", where people think they're going to be scared, while waiting to be judges, while waiting for the doorman to look over everything from our earthly lives, and to make a decision on if we can step across or not. It seems silly, for people who accept and know grace to think such things, but he makes a valid point... We live in fear, no matter how strong our faith is. (correct me if I'm wrong)...

I think about the number of times I came out here during my last relationship when I was so scared it was going to end, and the number of times I came out here after it did. I think about the number of times I was out here when trying to figure out what to do for college. I think about the number of times I've been out here in the past year, afraid of this and that. Sitting here now, I have so much to be afraid of, and ironically I find myself back at the observation deck. But, this time, I'm not afraid. I know that I'll lhave troubles, confusion, pain, helplessness, and hurt, but I know that standing at those pearly gates is Christ. And I don't have to be afraid anymore. All of this stuff, this crap that goes on, he dealt with it already. He bore it all, so that I don't have to lie in fear.

I'm still sitting here; and I'm going to eat my Chickfila now before it gets cold, and before my shake melts.

Don't be afraid. He lives. He has won.