L.I.F.E. = Living In Fear-less Expectation

Hello everyone! 

This is my first post outside my bio, and I am excited!

I love acronyms, and my awareness and love for them started with my working for the Defense Department. They have acronyms for every possible subject, title, or combination of words. Our daily work conversations were what I call “acronymisms!” I’m sure by now we are well acquainted with the Personal Protection Equipment (P.P.E.) and Shelter-in-Place (S.I.P.) acronyms.”

So, I’m not too surprised that this post title is an acronym or phrase. It came to me several months ago, and I thought it very interesting, considering the many events happening worldwide now. I want to begin by giving definitions of each word. 

Living = Dwelling; residing; existing; ongoing; having life or the vital functions in operation.

In = used as a function word to indicate inclusion, location, or position within limits.

Fear-less = Free from fear; fearless of death; fearless of consequences. Bold, courageous, unworried.

Expectation = the act of expecting or looking forward to a future event with at least some reason to believe the event “will happen.” 

When I started writing this post, I was excited! I thought this was a perfect opportunity to make good use of all my “home alone time” due to the S.I.P. mandate. I will take full advantage of this situation and start learning more about posting on the web and writing more future blogs. Because I had already written a few topic outlines, I expected to write at least two or three blogs a week! I knew there would be a learning curve for me with all the technical aspects of the actual posting, but I hired a reputable network support team to help me navigate the process. Available time, no outside intrusions, the needed resources, how much easier could this be?

Let me pause here with this question, “Have you ever started something with all the right intentions and conditions in place? I mean everything you need to complete whatever you are doing. But yet, “something” was in the way, and it caused you to become stagnant?”

Procrastination = the action of delaying or postponing something.

From May to August, I procrastinated horribly, to the point where I did everything else but writing!

Yet the person (me) who thinks and says, with her arms proudly folded, I am so happy I’m such a disciplined person, should’ve had this posted a month ago! “Wikipedia,” says that procrastination could be stated as a “habitual or intentional delay of starting or finishing a task?” I may not believe everything I read on Wikipedia, but this is a true statement for Jacqui Huff! Here’s why.

As I “chose” to feed this revealed habit with excuses, I started to feel anxious; then these doubts began to invade my thoughts, such as, what if I don’t have anything useful to say or what if what I am saying doesn’t make sense? What if I have entirely just missed it with this whole writing thing?! 

With the anxiousness and the vacillating thoughts, I gradually started putting off writing by using any excuse, such as counting the stats on my window blinds. I was sitting at my computer and looking over at my shoe rack and counting each shoe, then deciding they needed rearranging because now cold weather was slowing leaving, spring was fast approaching, and summer is here! Talk about wasted time!

Second pause. “Don’t waste time thinking about things that steal your time.” J. Huff

 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is. (Ps. 39:4)

If that wasn’t enough, I then started daydreaming. All this lack of disciplined concentration made the anxiety and doubting more persistent. I began to think about the paper I wrote years ago with all the red marks and annotations on it and what was wrong with it. (Check out my bio for more about that.)  This behavior pattern started with one, then two; eventually, the unproductive days turned into weeks, then months! 

Worry = mental distress or agitation resulting from concern, usually for something impending or anticipated.

Fear = to be afraid or apprehensive, an unpleasant emotion or thought you have when you are frightened or worried by something dangerous, painful, or harmful that is happening or “might happen.”

“For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” (2 Tim. 1:7)

I heard someone say that worry produces babies, and I believe that. I also think one of those babies is fear. They are not twins but of similar character. Now, as babies, they may not seem to give you any constant trouble, but as they grow, you start to notice they are becoming very persuasive and controlling.

 Third pause. I certainly never thought I was a worrier and certainly not fearful. I was just merely more “cautious.”

“Drop all the excuses and learn to admit when you’re wrong.” (Quotesgram.com)

I heard someone speak on “life” a few years ago, and they pointed out a small word that I’ve come to know and understand how it can be a pathway to worry and fear. It is the word “if.” I began to recognize that the more I procrastinated, the more I put off doing what I should be doing, and the more I began to doubt and then question myself with the “what ifs.” The words procrastination, anxiety, worry, and fear can all be interchangeable, so it doesn’t matter which one we choose; they all can lead us away from…Living. I.F.E.!   

Perspective

When talking about life, some say I’m okay as long as I’m breathing, and I agree. Within these last few months, renowned words, “breathe of life” or “gift of life,” are no longer considered merely quotes or good sayings but words with significant meaning. As I was writing, I noticed that the words life and gift contain the same small two-letter word, “if,” and one of their similarities is that they are both given.

I allowed fear to steal from me valuable time, confidence, and the excitement of journeying to something new. Fear steals!

There are so many things, especially now, that fear has entangled itself around. The list may seem endless and hopeless for some people. But it does not have to be that way. I could have quit with the idea of writing this blog, and the temptation was there many times, but I didn’t, as you can see. As speaker Joyce Meyer would say, “Do it afraid!”

“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.” (Heb.11:1)

Someone might be thinking right now, if my life were different, I would be doing this… or it would be like this… or I would be here…. How would you end these sentences? The word “if” may be only two letters, but it has the power just as fear to impact your life negatively or positively. I was immobilizing you or freeing you. Step out into the plan God has chosen for you. Living in “fear-less” expectation is something you learn; it’s all a process. So step out! 

Those who have put their trust and confidence in Jesus Christ have been “gifted” to live without fear. Life gives!

L.I.F.E. is a choice, and it has to be an intentional choice you make daily. One of my favorite scriptures in Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “Today I am giving you a choice of two ways. And I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses of your choice. You can choose life or death. The first choice will bring a blessing. The other choice will bring a curse. So choose life! Then you and your children will live.” What will you choose? 

 “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. (Jer. 29:11)

Love Never Fails…

Written by jacuelyn7808

8 comments