Leslie exited the passenger seat of Tara’s car and raised her face to the sunshine. “What a beautiful day.”

             Tara tightened the laces of her hiking boots and tucked a water bottle into her backpack. “It is. Thanks so much for joining me. It’s a perfect day for a hike.”

            Leslie adjusted her baseball cap. “You’re always talking me into something, but I love our adventures. I can’t wait to see the waterfalls. I’ve heard great things about this park, but I’ve never been here.”

            “It’s been awhile for me, but I love it here, especially in the fall with the leaves changing.” They stepped off onto the trail, leaves crunching underfoot. After several minutes, a large German shepherd came racing toward them. Leslie froze, about to scream, when a young man appeared around the corner.

            “Dalton! Come!”

            The dog stopped mid-stride and trotted back to his owner, who clipped a leash to his collar. As the man approached them, he dipped his head. “Apologies. I hope Dalton didn’t give you a scare.”

            Tara waved a hand. “Of course not. He was only being friendly.”

            Leslie pressed a hand to her chest as the man and his dog continued on their way. “Speak for yourself. My heart is beating a million miles a minute. I thought for sure that dog was going to eat us for lunch. He was huge.”

            Tara merely grinned. “Well, it looks like we’ll live to see the falls.” She pushed off on her hiking poles as the trail ascended. “Did I tell you about my trip to France?”

            Leslie followed after Tara. “You did. I can’t believe you made that trip on your own. I would have been so lost.”

            “It was an adventure. And it’s really helping me at work. Going to our site in France and meeting my coworkers face-to-face has given me a much better understanding of how that side of the business operates. My boss has hinted at promoting me so I’ll have oversight over one of the programs at that site besides the ones I’m working on here. It probably means I’ll go there at least once, maybe twice a year.”

            Leslie shook her head. “I could never do that. I can’t imagine navigating an international flight and finding my way around a foreign country all alone, especially without knowing the language.”
            Tara waved a hand. “Everyone over there speaks English. It was a lot of fun. It’s a beautiful country.”

            “I have no doubt it’s beautiful. It’s just scary to do alone.”

            As the trail continued to ascend, the conversation stalled. Leslie focused her energy on watching her footing on the loose gravel rather than on speaking. After a few minutes, the trail leveled out and she caught her breath. Sunlight filtered through the canopy overhead and she inhaled the fresh forest air. It truly was wonderful to be out in nature. They continued their journey and soon approached a magnificent waterfall. Leslie gasped. “It’s marvelous.”

            Tara grinned. “I love this place.”

            Tara stood, taking in the view, while Leslie pulled out her phone and snapped several photographs. After a few minutes, Tara urged her forward. “There are more waterfalls on this hike and we’ll want to see them all.”

            Leslie tucked her phone back in her pocket and set off after Tara. As the trail wound around a series of fallen logs, a black and yellow striped snake slithered across the path. Leslie screamed.

            Tara whirled around and hurried back toward Leslie. “What’s wrong?” Her gaze fell on the snake and she smiled. “That’s a garter snake. It won’t hurt you. Just walk around it.”

            Leslie held her breath and circled around the snake, giving it a wide berth. When she’d passed it, she let out her breath and stared at Tara. “I don’t get it.”

            Tara’s brows raised. “Get what?”

            “How is it that you’re not afraid of anything? Dogs, snakes, traveling on your own?”

            Tara’s face turned serious. “I used to be.”
            “What do you mean?”

            Tara turned back toward the trail. “Let’s continue the hike, and I’ll tell you.” The trail widened, and she moved to hike alongside Leslie. “I used to be afraid of everything. Spiders, thunder, and the thought of Richard leaving me. 2020 was especially difficult for me, living in fear of the virus.”

            “But Richard did leave.”

            “Yes, he did. I was difficult to live with. I was needy and untrusting. With my fear of abandonment, I demanded too much of him. I’m sure dealing with my constant fears was exhausting for him. It’s little wonder he needed to get away. But that sent me into a terrible state. After he left, I withdrew from everything. I was working remotely at the time, as we all were, if you recall. I shut myself up from the world, convinced it was too terrifying a place.”

            Leslie shook her head, trying to reconcile this story with the fearless woman before her. “What changed?”

            “I finally turned to God and His word. Did you know there’s not just one verse in the Bible about fear, but 365? God gave me 365 verses to study. And that’s what I did. For a full year, I read through a verse a day about fear. And the more I read, the more my faith and my trust grew. And now, today, I’ve conquered my fears and have learned to trust in Jesus.”

            “That’s amazing. Maybe I need to start reading some of those verses for myself.”

            Tara grinned. “I highly recommend it. You’ll enjoy this hike more if you’re not worried about the dogs, snakes, and bears.”

            Leslie stopped in her tracks. “Bears? Who said anything about bears?”

2 Timothy 1: 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

God, thank You for giving us a spirit of power, not a spirit of fear. Please increase our faith. Please give us courage to step out in faith to accomplish what You want us to accomplish. Help us overcome our fears of not only animals and insects, but of others. We’re often afraid of conflict, of standing up for what’s right, or of sharing our faith. Please help us be unafraid of what others might think of us. Help us focus on gaining Your approval, and not let our fears hold us back from what You want us to accomplish. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

For a list of the 365 verses on fear, check out

https://inspirationportal.org/complete-list-of-365-fear-not-in-the-bible/

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