Fear and Filling

It’s Fearless Friday, so as I was running yesterday I was thinking about what the total opposite of fear would be.

I’m sure there’s more than one answer, but one thing that squeezes fear out is the exuberant filled-up to overflowing joy of the with-God life.  Joy doesn’t leave room for fear.

Kind of like pushing back from the table at Thanksgiving stuffed with deliciousness so you can say “no thanks” to a piece of fear pie.  You’re already full.

We fill up in different seasons in different ways, but Summer just seems made for “tasting and seeing that the Lord is good”

I’m a Summer girl all the way.  I love bike riding in the sunshine, the charcoal smell of the grill, the taste of fresh berries, the still heaviness of a thunderstorm coming, and the sound of boats anchored and slapping the lake water in the morning.

Everything about summer is refreshing to me.

Recently there’s been one tiny bunny who squeezes through the fence in our yard to eat my flowers.  I think he’s Peter Rabbit who likes adventures away from his brothers and sisters and prefers my delectable vegetation to what’s closer to home.  He’s found what’s delightful to him, he’s fearless, and he’s going for the refreshment in my garden.  He knows where goodness grows.

In Minnesota we go for it too.  We’re desperate for refilling.  Our whole rhythm changes and we fill up our emotional, spiritual, and physical tanks that have been depleted by too many grinding, gray, snowy days.

What is it that you do to replenish?  What relationships, experiences, or spiritual practices bring you joy and help you to see the goodness of God more clearly?  Is it through nature or the arts or creating something new, or…?

I thought I’d share a few videos that have made me smile recently to start your summer off with joy.

This last one is a little long, but uplifting if you have time to watch.

Don’t be afraid to shake things up this summer!