Last week I was working my usual Tuesday night impact service at SHO. Once the service was over and everyone was leaving one of our guests started getting unruly with one of our volunteers. The volunteer came and got me and told me how the guy had tried to assault him. We have a strict no fighting policy at SHO. If you fight, you are banned.
So, I went to the man and told him to leave the property and that he was not welcome to come back to Safehouse again. The man then became very upset and started telling me that he was going to punch me in my face. He refused to leave the property and told me that if I touched him that he was going to attack me.
I don’t know about you, but when someone begins to threaten me, fear begins to enter my heart. As the man went on and on threatening me my heart began to fill with fear. Eventually, my fear turned to anger. I was so mad that this guy was talking to me and to the volunteers at SHO that way.
Finally, after asking the guy to leave one more time and his refusal, I lost it. I then reached out towards the guy and grabbed him up in a big bear hug. I grabbed one of his arms and stuck it behind him. Another volunteer swooped in and grabbed his other arm. We then together took the man to the edge of the property and literally threw him out on the curb. Love had been suppressed; fear and anger had gotten the best of me.
Fear is so powerful.
Fear is a humbling force. It has the ability to attack us and cause us to suppress love. Weather it is fear in a relationship, fear in finances, fear in your job etc… All fear competes with love. It fills our heart and makes it so love can not escape.
In my case, I allowed fear to lead me to anger. I did not respond with love towards this man. Sure, I should have had the man removed from the property. But, I did not have to physically throw him out on the curb. Even the man who has threatened me and others is deserving of love and respect.
So, how do we transcend fear?
One thing I have learned from this experience is we have to confront our fears head on. Through doing so, we will breakthrough the façade of fear and love will have it’s way in our heart again.
