My mother's baby brother is only 15 years older than I am. In fact, we share the same birthday. He was still at home when my grandmother kept me for several months while my mother finished college, and spent a good bit of time hauling me around the mountainside in a little red wagon.  He played the organ and piano for our wedding ceremony. He's always been very fond of me and I of him. And now at age 62, he is dying of cancer. My uncle never married and has no family of his own other than his siblings and their children. It's never been officially diagnosed, but we are all pretty darn sure that he has Asperger's Syndrome. He's definitely one of God's special people, very brilliant and very unique. He took the first job he found out of college and stayed there for 40 years. He's lived in the same apartment building all of his adult life. He's eaten the same foods in the same types of restaurants all of his life. Until this past weekend, he had never had a milkshake in his life. Never. I can't even imagine. Anything new or different triggers a fear/panic response in him, but life is too short to never have had a milkshake. He's been forced into trying all kinds of new things as a result of his illness and is delighting in many of them. It's wonderful to see his world opening up, but so sad that it took an illness to bring this about, and even sadder that the time he has left to enjoy it is so short. How many things has he missed out on because of fear? He is who he is and he can't help it so there's no point in blaming him for it. He has lived his life on his terms, writing and playing his music and the four-part book series he has self-published to Amazon digitally (which is really good!), but it makes you think, doesn't it?
How many things have I missed out on or never tried because I was afraid? Afraid of change, afraid to fail, afraid of looking foolish. I'm pretty sure I quit college because I feared I would never live up to my parents' expectations (sorry I didn't mean to lay that on you mom, it's all in my head). I've stayed in jobs for too long because of fear. I know I've failed to reach out to people because of fear. This is something I've really been working on. God did not create us, man or woman, to live in fear.
How many things have you not done because you're afraid? Dreams you've pushed to the side? Opportunities not taken? If I'm being really honest here, I have only told ONE PERSON about this blog because I am AFRAID OF REJECTION AND OF LOOKING FOOLISH AND OF BEING TOLD I AM A BAD WRITER. So. Obviously this needs to change. And it will, but not for a few more weeks as I would not want my sweet uncle to be hurt by anything I have said  here. But if you happen to come upon this, think about it. Don't let fear rob you of your life because you never know when your time on this earth will run out. Amen.
 So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10