THE SCENE OPENS: Jesus appears in the fear ridden upper room where His disciples are still hiding after His resurrection, and they were as in John20:20 “surprised overjoyed shaken to see Him alive but still afraid”
. Another time He breathes on them giving them power to forgive sins while they are all still in the upper room hiding.
Finally, Jesus ascends into heaven with these final words THE LAST WORDS JESUS SPOKE ON EARTH: “Go now preach the good news and bring all to Me”. However, Jesus understanding their fear tells them to go back to the upper room and wait for the Holy Spirit.
So now it was “SHOW TIME” as the earth shook, and fire fell upon each of them, and they even spoke in different languages. Totally inspirational. What changed?
LESSON Fear like any emotion is neither good nor bad, but it is what you do with that emotion that can define or defile you.
In fact, the Bible mentions “Fear not or Be not afraid” 365 times – one for each day of the year. Another interesting play on the word “SCARED” is by taking the letter “C” for CHRIST and place it in the center and you have the word “SACRED”! So, if you keep Christ in the center of your life what is there to fear? He is in you.
Pentecost and the sacrament of Confirmation were meant to do just that. It over fills the open heart of the soul, and you just can’t keep from singing the glory and praises of God. It gave the Disciples such joy and power with a new identity. Their true “ID” Incredible Disciples. But where does this leave us today? Are we still stuck in the upper rooms OF OUR LIVES – STUCK IN THE PAST AND WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE?
TOOL BOX STORY WHERE IS OUR SHOW TIME!
Let us examine the now famous book of fears by Grover called “The Monster at the End of This Book.”
My little children loved it when I read this book for, I always dramatically pretended to be afraid of turning the next page. They would cry out “Come on Dad Don’t be afraid.”
Of course, we all would let out a sigh of relief and laughter when we got to the end of the book. And they would say “See Daddy there was nothing to be afraid of.”
QUESTION Yet how often do we get stuck and afraid to turn the next page in our life? When are we challenged? When are we in our own fears, in despair, sorrows, crosses to bear? With bars that have no walls or chains that have no foot to stand in. Like in our own upper room of fears, faults and failures.

LIKE WHEN…
Judas brings the soldiers to Jesus John:18. & Mt:26 46 thinking it’s time to challenge Him. Time for Jesus to show off His Powers. We ‘ve all seen and heard it. Like it was Show Time for Herod in Lk:23 11 show me your magic. Then comes the ultimate challenge, the final Show me when in Mark:15 29 or Mt:27 36-43 or Lk:23 35-39 at the cross they began to mock Him…”Come on down and we will believe. I mean what’s the point of having a king or messiah if You can’t Show me.”
EXAMIN Yet how many times have we thought those same words when our prayers go unanswered as if they just hit the ceiling and fall back to the ground.
Where’s my answer? When is Jesus going to show up FOR ME?
Jesus was humanly fearful in the garden of what was to come. But He showed us what it takes to go beyond our fears no matter how physically, psychologically, or emotionally painful it may be. And what looked like failure to many was instead the power of the victorious love it took to save us all. They just couldn’t see it or believe it then. As in the words of Judas “It wasn’t supposed to happen this way?” How many times have we said or thought the same?

REMEMBER WHEN…
St. John Paul II reluctantly accepted the position as Pope. Was he afraid? Yes! But what were his first words from the balcony to the waiting crowds, “Be Not Afraid.”
And for the many years after he showed us and encouraged us, and it became a tidal wave that changed and swept through the whole world.
How did he do it? How does anyone overcome their fears? The stories in the Bible and in our own lives reflect it in accepting God’s plan with His Power. Be it done according to Your Will. Sounds familiar? JESUS SAYS: “Just Don’t doubt My dream for you or it may never come true.” Here is what John Paul’s father taught him as A PRAYER when he was growing up.

Oh, Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul. I adore you. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do; give me Your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept all that You permit to happen to me. Let me only know Your Will.

LIKE A PERSONAL LEAP OF FAITH…
In “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” Indy is on the ledge looking down into an abyss of nothingness as his father is crying out dying. He grabs ahold of his fears and as a loving son takes the giant leap of faith and saves his father.
WHEN will we go beyond our fears and doubts? Only when our love becomes greater than our fears. It is like another word for faith or trust.

SO, MY CHALLENGE…
To you is remember to read from time to time especially to your kids or grandkids the Monster Book and remind them and yourself that no matter what life brings you “Keep turning the Pages…” because our Heavenly Father always has His dream His plan for you. As He smiles saying: “Be not afraid, I have something special waiting for you at the end.”
So, to help keep this in perspective from another point of view read this story called:

A WHEELBARROW OF TRUST
By [email protected]

Trust is actually, a verb. Trust is something we DO… Trust is faith in
action! And when do you know you have faith? When it becomes personal!

STORY
In the late 1800’s there was a great performer named Jean
Francois Gravelot. He was known as “The Great Blondin.” He was a “daredevil” of sorts; a tightrope walker.
One of his greatest stunts involved walking a tightrope high above the world-famous Niagara Falls. Blondin performed this death-defying feat more than once, adding elements of difficulty each time. Once he even carried his manager on his back!
Blondin was quite the showman, he had a knack for engaging the crowd, stirring the suspense.

Upon completing his tightrope walk across the falls he turned to the crowd and asked if they believed he could go back again successfully. The crowd unanimously cheered in agreement. So always looking to better his last great feat, Blondin asked the crowd if they believed he could cross the falls again while pushing a wheelbarrow?

Having seen his previous stunts, and how easy it was for
him, the crowd had no doubt he could pull off this new, more difficult feat.

Again, the response was unanimous.! As Blondin was ready to attempt this amazing new feat, he had one last question for the crowd:
“Which of you will get in the wheelbarrow?”
The crowd was frozen in silent FEAR. Not a single PERSON responded to his challenge. Yet they all witnessed Blondin crossing the falls on the rope. They all had first-hand knowledge of his abilities. They had a well-founded belief that he
could perform the more difficult stunt. Yet, when it came time to act on those.
beliefs, they were silent. Didn’t they trust him?
TOOL BOX
Many of us have seen what God can do, and we believe (faith)… Yet when He calls us to “ride” with him (trust), do we still sit silent looking down hiding frozen in fear?
Will we be like Peter who took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink in the stormy waters of life? Because in life you will find that you can’t look down, especially when you may be going through those valleys of darkness of sadness, loss, despair. Psalm 23

Instead reach out and grab His staff of faith of hope and of His never- ending love as He walks next to you through that valley and says: “_____! Do you trust Me then get in the
wheelbarrow. I have something special for you on the other side.”