Posted on 06/30/2002 7:05:07 PM PDT by Siobhan
On another thread AKA Elena posted this request:
Please pray for my brother, Dan and for my sister, Sister Mary ... and for a safe flight to the South, for myself, to Louisiana ... as I go to be with my sister for a few days.
May the Lord reach down with his healing touch for those members of your familiy who are ill. And may God Almighty surround you with His loving arms as you travel to be with your family. In His name we pray.
Amen
God speed and may St. Christopher be with us all.
He's also a most skilled Physician!
A MONSTER TO HUG By Steve Goodier © 2002
One couple spent a holiday driving in the mountains. "Every time you race around one of those narrow curves," exclaimed the wife, "I just get terrified."
"Then do what I do," suggested her husband. "Close your eyes!" We are all afraid at times, but closing our eyes is not always a helpful way through fear. Better to open your eyes and face those fears head-on.
In 1972 David Miln Smith had such an opportunity. Smith, an adventurer, author and professional speaker, decided to spend a night alone in St. Michael's Cave on the island of Gibraltar as a test of courage. In his book Hug the Monster (Kansas City: Andrews and McMeel, 1996), he tells of hearing strange sounds all around him as he lay there in the pitch-black, damp, deserted cave. Most frightening was the fact that he came to believe he was not alone!
Fear became panic and he was afraid he was losing his mind. Then suddenly, as he was approaching his psychological breaking point, Smith thought to himself, "Whatever the monster looks like, I will hug it." That simple, almost silly thought brought great relief to his restless mind. He soon fell into a deep and peaceful sleep until morning. He learned that embracing his fear, literally or figuratively, allowed him to subdue it.
We each have our nights of fear. We each encounter monsters of some sort. We may fear spiders or insects, heights or crowds, abandonment or loneliness, the future or death. And most of us are occasionally visited by shadows of these monsters in the dark of night.
The next time you're afraid, try "hugging the monster." Face that fear head-on, whatever it is, and embrace it. You may be surprised at how quickly it slips away and at how confident you begin to feel. Like that beautiful spirit Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face."
Do you have a monster to hug?
Note; I am not suggesting by posting this little email that we should embrace Satan, but rather embrace the FEAR and work through it.
We ask you to guard those who are traveling and heal those among our families and friends who are sick in either mind or body, in particular, for the intentions of AKA Elena and Aggie Mama. As in all things, we ask these favors in the name of Your beloved Son in union with Your Holy Spirit. Amen.
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