Overcoming fear

Other than ghosts and goblins appearing out of nowhere on Halloween to scare us, many spooky things are happening in our world now. We might be startled when someone plays a trick on us or jumps out to scare us, but it will go away after all the trick-or-treat bags have been opened and we put away the scary costumes.

I did my Halloween prank accidentally this week when I walked into one of our small local businesses. There weren't many people in the store, and no one was behind the counter. However, I needed a particular item and couldn't find it, so I walked back to the checkout for some help.

I heard someone coming out of the office, stepped around the corner, and said, "Hey!" She had just taken a coke drink in her hand, and when she saw me, she stopped dead in her tracks and almost spewed the drink out of her mouth.

It took her a few moments to collect herself. Then, finally, she stood still, swallowed her drink, took a breath, and said, "You scared me to death!" I replied, "I'm sorry; I was looking for something and needed some help."

We both laughed, and she directed me to what I was looking for, but I felt terrible for startling her, and I'm sure she was relieved I wasn't a burglar.

Halloween is supposed to be a scary day filled with pranks, candy, and fun, but I think we could sum up our entire year of 2020 as Halloween without candy and fun.

For many, the Coronavirus has been the boogie man that has filled our world with so much fear. The looters and violent protestors have added to that, destroying towns and hurting people, and a frantic media, along with angry politicians working against each other rather than the people who elected them.

And on top of all that, October has been Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence awareness month.

This year, an estimated 276,480 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and 48,530 women will be diagnosed with non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. In addition, an estimated 2,620 men in the United States will also be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.

Domestic violence is devastating. More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men across the United States have experienced domestic violence from an intimate partner.

Fear is the bully that pushes us around and makes us feel helpless. But we don't have to feel helpless. Just as the store manager handled her surprising encounter with a customer, we can stand still, take a breath and deal with it.

Three of the most powerful tools to overcome fear are faith, information, and choosing to use that information.

The prayer that comes to me when I feel overwhelmed is the Serenity Prayer.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Serenity means being calm and peaceful when there is trouble all around us. Courage is a choice we make, regardless of the consequences, and wisdom comes from getting the facts before we make that choice.

If we are fighting breast cancer, we need to work with our doctor to make the right choice about treatment, and if we are unsure of what we need to do, we get a second opinion. Schedule your mammograms.

If we are trying to escape domestic abuse, we must ask for help. There is a helpline you can call at 1.800.799.SAFE, (7233).

If we are concerned about our country and the people making decisions for our lives as citizens, we must vote on or before November 3rd.

And when we have done all that we can with the information we have, we must stand firm and courageous and trust God with our lives.