DO IT AFRAID!!!

The first time I read this phrase was in Joyce Meyer's book several years back, in fact that was what drew my attention to the book. Recently, Betty Irabor's Genevieve magazine cover page brought the words back to mind as the quote from her interview reads 'the trick is to do it afraid'. It got me thinking, and interestingly my thoughts ended up in the labour room. Everything about that day felt different as I had carried my baby to term, for me I could not wait to be relieved of the weight of my huge stomach on my small frame.
No book, birth stories, accounts or advices quite captured the 30 minutes in that labour room that day. Somewhere between her head and her shoulders I went blank, I drifted into my past and saw flashes of the things I had feared, my first major exams, responsibilities I had to live up to that no one had prepared me for, the feeling of lack one to many times, first job interview, first love gone wrong, my walk down the aisle, I could go on and on. then it dawned on me as my dear man tapped me to bring me back to reality, that I was afraid, very afraid to see this through, be there for her, raise a sane child amidst the insanity, teach her faith, be her model of everything that is right with the world. With very little strength left, so little I feared I may not pull through, a very parched throat, the mixed feelings on the face of husband dearest, the aches on my body in more places than I cared to count; I pushed, so hard I could not believe I had it in me, and that was it!
I saw her upside down at first, next I heard her cry and as she was placed in my arms, I felt like God himself handed me a gold medal, so heroic was the feeling I had that day! Many months later, I look back and I realise it was just another phase I had gone through and the fear along with it. So, my honest little piece is this, God gives us faith to quench every fear. Regardless, we get scared many times and we find we just can't shake it off. The simple secret is to 'do it afraid'. It's either going to work or not, but you'll never know if you choose not to try at all. Plus, faith in itself is going through with the things that scare us knowing someone bigger, divinely infinite has our back and will pick us up where our humanity falls short.
So I have this one life, rather than let fear cripple my every venture while still at the birthing stage, I will go right ahead and see it through, if it feels like the right thing to do. For instance, I have had this write up in my head for 25 days and I wondered, what if it's not well received? I am clicking publish on this one today for as many as are interested to see, read and no matter the reception, I am glad I wrote it anyway. So I dare say, DO IT AFRAID! Please share your 'Do it afraid' stories, you never know who it might make a difference to. Thanks

TeeWai
26 February, 2013.