My biggest fear has always been change. I never reacted well to change, even as a small child. I have a Type A personality and like to have everything in order, a routine, and a schedule in place. When something got out of order or would come up unexpectedly, I never knew how to handle it and would just freak out. This began to control my life in more ways than I realized.

This past spring, my best friend, Violet passed away unexpectedly in an accident. This was the ultimate turn of events, to put it lightly. My world was turned upside down and I had to learn to live life completely differently. Although this was the most difficult thing I've ever had to go through, it silenced so many of the fears that had taken me captive over the years. It's kind of funny how God takes a devastating situation and turns it into something you can learn and grow from.

Violet had turned eighteen a day before her accident, and this woke me up to the fact that life is short. I know people say that all the time and we don't really think about it, but let me say that again, life is so short! This past year has brought so many unexpected deaths and accidents, especially in my community, and it has truly opened my eyes to the fact that you never know when your last moments will be with someone, let alone when your own last moment will be. It's about time we stop living inside of our own fears.

Ever since the unthinkable happened to me, I've come to embrace change rather than fear it. Spontaneity is nothing to fear, but something to thrive upon. Worrying and fearing every little thing will do nothing but cause you stress and pain. It's so much easier to let things go, forgive, and move on with your life. Why should you live the short, precious moments here on earth anything but joyful?

Luke Chapter 12 reads, “Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?’”

This verse pretty much says it all. Stop carrying your worries and fears and give them up to God, for Pete's sake! God is begging us to cast all of our anxieties on Him. He wants to take them from us. There is absolutely no good in worrying. By trusting in the Lord, our fears will be cast out and we can live in freedom. I am proud of the person I have become, and I think Violet would be too.

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