I had a visitor knock on my door just the other day. When I opened the door I saw piles of luggage littering my porch and a oddly familiar face staring back at me. I couldn't remember how I knew them, but before I could piece together my recognition, they barged in, bags in hand; making themselves at home. As just the tip of their left shoe crossed my threshold, I knew their name. It was fear. Uninvited. Unwelcome. Here to make themselves at home, none the less.
Tossing their bags here and there, covering my once clean floor with their clutter and nonsense. I didn't want to be rude, so I made Fear comfortable. I walked around the minefield of hazardous clutter and brought Fear a beverage while entertaining its rantings. Somehow with every moment Fear stayed my home got messier and messier, and louder and louder. I could no longer see the lovingly polished floors, and the delicately placed memories gracing the walls; instead I saw nothing but piles and piles of unorganized junk that I could hardly walk around. The soft sounds of soothing music, replaced indecipherable white noise.
I tried sorting the piles of junk into organized totes, and dusting off the pictures on my walls so I could see them more clearly, but with every well placed item a scattered, haphazard one took its place. I, in frustration, finally gave up. I allowed all of the junk to cover everything I cared about until I forgot what a clean house looked like. Fear had stolen my home. Fear had stolen my peace.
I looked up and saw a stream of light shining through the corner of a window thickly covered in dust and grime. It felt so warm. It looked so bright. I remembered! I remembered a clean home. I remembered peace. Through the piles and piles of garbage I saw one familiar book. A book that I love.
I stretched out my arm, and grasped a corner of its cover. I pulled and pulled until at last it broke free and toppled into my lap. Feeling a flutter in my heart, I opened the cover. and with each new page, a new truth bore into me. "Do not be afraid", "I am your fortress", "Do not fear, I will help you", "Ask and it will be given"... so many statements of hope and truth. As tears made a path down my cheeks, I reached my hands to the sky and pleaded for help. There was no way I could do this on my own.
As soon as the words left my lips, the door swung open with enough force to send various items flying everywhere. Fear, who was perched in a comfortable chair, droning on, suddenly grew silent. Its eyes wide, fists clenched. A team of workers, dressed in white burst in with tools and supplies and began methodically addressing every item, and wiping down every surface. I began to, with a smile on my face, helping the crew. There were a couple moments that I tried to hold onto a trinket or item that I thought was of value, but each member of the crew assured me that all items had to go. Before I knew it I was looking at my clean home, with my beautiful photos beaming from my walls. Everything was clean, and peaceful. Fear was no where to be seen, and I vowed to myself that if I ever saw fear again, I would open the book of love first.
