Paralyzed

Written by cycleguy on July 4th, 2013

soul_reconstruction

A recent story from the baseball world brought a sigh of relief to the much-maligned sport.  In the recent draft, the Arizona Diamondbacks drafted a former college player who was paralyzed while sliding into second base.  You can read that story here.  When I was a pastor at another church, one of the young men was paralyzed from his neck down (with very limited arm movement) as a result of diving into a shallow lake.  Who can forget the story of a teenage Joni (Erickson) Tada, who has been paralyzed for over 4 decades?  Paralysis is not a good thing to read about, or to wish on your worst enemy.

But there is another kind of paralysis also.  It is the paralysis caused by fear.  Many are so “numbed” by their fear they can’t move.  I think of Indy Jones’ comment: “Snakes.  Why did it have to be snakes?”   For many, though, their fear is much deeper than a snake or a spider.  For a list of phobias, go here.

Some people are literally paralyzed by their fear.  They can’t move. They can’t think. They can’t function.   Someone has done a study of adult fears and says most fall into four categories:

Fear of Loss.  Loss of a spouse. A Child. A job. Financial security.  The list goes on.

Fear of Failure.  Many won’t get “off the dime” for fear of failing.  “I can’t” is big.  Or “I don’t think I can.”

Fear of Rejection.  No one wants to feel unwanted.

Fear of the Unknown.  In reality, we can all relate to this.  Who does know the future except for God (and He ain’t telling)?

My sermon Sunday will be a study of Psalm 27, which is chock-full of good stuff.  Rather than give you a breakdown, I’d suggest you read it for yourself.  🙂  I would appreciate your prayers for Sunday. Thanks.

Do you have any fears? I don’t have any glaring ones that paralyze me, but I prefer not to be in a car accident where there is a fire, not do I want to experience a tornado.  How’s that for skirting the issue?  🙂

 

22 Comments so far ↓

  1. Daniel says:

    While I am highly agoraphobic, I was a university professor for 10 years and I given talks to large audiences around the world without any real loss of comfort. Yet being in a crowd, even in a social setting where I know many people, is very difficult for me. Man this is all pretty odd.

    Other than that, I have a fear (quite irrational) of bugs and critters. They may or may not cause me to squeal like a frightened school girl.

    • Tami Grandi says:

      LOL- your bug comment cracked me up because I do the same thing. The only time I am louder than a school girl scream is when I see (or hear a mouse)…

      • cycleguy says:

        I believe I have heard that louder than a school girl scream. Your mom would give you a good run for your money though. She jumped up on a chair, a bed, and a couch before. never saw her move that fast except when a bat was in the house. 😛

    • cycleguy says:

      Daniel: It is not unusual to be able to function better with strangers than those you know. I’ll never tell your secret about the scream. 😉

      • Daniel says:

        Of course when I am giving a presentation to a classroom or a group of colleagues, I control the content and the interaction. In a sense, what I will say has been considered and thought about in detail. In a social situation, I have no safety net or control.

  2. Rick Dawson says:

    My greatest fear that I’m aware of is similar to Daniel’s in that I dread speaking to large crowds – I *have* done it, but for me there is nothing pleasant about the experience. I can stand up and play guitar in front of thousands without the least little bit of stage fright interfering, and can sing there as well – but then switch it over so I have to speak? I hear every stammer, every verbal miscue, every “like…you know…ah…ummm” amplified.

    While I wouldn’t want to be in the car on fire either, my earlier biggest fear was fire at sea when I was in the Navy – where are you going to go in the middle of the Atlantic? Ashore, I can break a windshield and crawl if need be.

    • cycleguy says:

      That is not unusual to have no trouble performing “anonymously” with instruments vs speaking. then the attention is totally on you.

    • Zee says:

      I have found that it is much easier for me to answer questions than simply speak… because when I speak, I keep wanting to tell EVERYTHING I know about the subject and it’s hard to concentrate because everything is important… but when there is a specific question, I can easily and normally answer it…

  3. I don’t like heights, tunnels and I’m not crazy about bridges.

    • cycleguy says:

      The other two don’t bother me and heights never did but the older I get…

      • Zee says:

        I loooove heights, but my mom is scared of them… so I cannot show her wonderful views from my office because I sit next to a window wall… and the office is on 15th floor in a building on a hill 🙂

  4. Zee says:

    I developed a fear of flying / jumping bugs several years ago. Not sure why (as a kid, I didn’t mind them at all, but now I am pretty much a basket case when there’s something next to me – flies and mosquitoes don’t count)… And I am extremely scared of failure. My reaction is that my brain usually just shuts down and I cannot do anything. Rather pathetic.

    Praying for Sunday service. Will need to remember to get the podcast.

    • cycleguy says:

      No not pathetic at all Zee. It is a very real fear many have. As for the flying bugs, I have seen grown men reduced to ants around them, especially if there is a fear of being stung. Thanks for your prayers.

  5. floyd says:

    Over the last five years or so God has given me lessons in “fear.” You know some of my story and even now it looks like things have taken a turn for the worse… but that’s only what it looks like with my eyes and brain…

    I’ve done some fairly in depth studies of most of the verses in the Bible that deal with fear. The now tattered piece of folded notebook paper still sits on my vanity with my hand scribbled words from God of Isaiah 8:13, “The Lord is the One you are to regard as holy. He is the One you are to fear, He is the one you are to dread.”

    In the time of my testing my Father has seen faithfully and bountifully to my and my family’s protection and provision… I have less, but for what really matters, I have so much more. My circumstances haven’t changed, my wisdom and perspective have changed.

    In a nutshell, when I begin to fear or revere the world and the things and people in it more than I do the God who either causes or allows all things, then I I’m no more enlightened than the Israelites who made a tiny golden calf to worship. How must our Father feel when He’s providing and protecting and we refuse to believe it’s His hand… I’d say that falls under the category of mocking God…

    I can’t tell you how my Father poured out His spirit upon me today as I re-read that chapter in Psalms… How I love His word… It’s truth lifts the burden from our souls and lets us walk above the flesh of this fallen world.

    I’m praying for you and His anointing, Bill. The earth will shake and move this Sunday…

    • cycleguy says:

      Love your perspective Floyd. Not all can trust as you have learned to. It is a big step to put Is.8;1 into practice. My prayers are with you.

  6. Ike says:

    I feared the Pirates would win the series against the Phil’s. Turns out I had nothing to fear:-)

  7. Betty Draper says:

    I have been gripped with a fear at times that rendered me useless. There is a huge difference between fear and being cautious. There is wisdom in getting to safety when a tornado is heading your way instead of filming the thing. Good post and I learned some things by looking up the link on phobias. My husband says I have one about dirty hotel room, critters in our beds. The thought of something crawling on me when I am asleep will render me sleepless. If I have cleaned that room then I am fine but trusting someone else “clean standards”…it was a struggle for me when we would go to the jungles in PNG. And I am not a clean freak…well…sort of…but if it MY MESS, that’s different.

    • cycleguy says:

      I know you are not alone in the hotel room bug thing Betty. I don’t consider that a clean freak thing either. It is being heads up. 🙂 I like your idea of fear vs. being cautious.

  8. Jan Frame says:

    Hmmm,I think this was for me. I was just telling Michael that I’ve really got to work on conquering my fears…I am afraid to travel by any means, therefore I haven’t been to CA. to see Zach & Caleb, nor have I been to CT where my stepdaughter lives. I constantly worry that something is going to happen to Michael because he drives so much. I will be reading Psalm 27. Tami, I’m glad I’m not alone in screaming when I see a mouse, I also let out a pretty good scream when I see a slug…….ooooh, just writing that word sends me into a big chill! Great post Bill, thanks.