My wife Leah is afraid to fly, as in seriously near-phobic. I say near-phobic because I am not a doctor and can't diagnose her. Yet at this moment she is getting ready to ride with me to Houston, climb on a plane and fly to Florida. I asked my parents to be praying for her to have peace or less fear or something along those lines. My mother didn't realize how afraid Leah is, and when I shared with them how traumatic her last flight was, my father said, "But that was before...."
You see there are two reasons my wife is about to get on a plane, and they are both the same. Love. First there is the love for her daughter, who we are going to see. A mother's love can make her climb on an airplane when she's afraid. But the second reason is even bigger and more powerful. Leah has become aware of her Daddy's love for her in the past five years like she's never known before. I'm talking about her heavenly Daddy/ And when you get a taste of the deep love of the Father, there is a peace that comes with that that is even stronger than phobias. Perfect love casts out fear.
Love can set you free from fear. Is Leah afraid? Yes. Is she freaked out and panicking and in tears and hyperventilating? Not even close. Is it logic and understanding that flying is truly a safe way to travel? Hardly. It's all about love. Her Daddy's love for her that gives her some peace in a situation that she's not had peace in before, and her love for Amanda that gave her the courage to step out in faith and say, "Yes, I will fly," which put that power of that peace bringing, fear crushing, perfect love tot he test.
The love of God can set us free from fear as much as it can break the shackles of an addiction. Today let us all remember that we can walk free from dominion by fear in the name of love.
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