Fears!

Jason entered the school hallway, stopping to put his book bag into his locker.

“Hi, Jason!” his friend Mark said as he paused at his locker. “Ready to give your report on fear today?”

“Sure,” Jason replied. “But I’m not afraid of anything!”

That report will be easy for me, he thought. I can just tell the class that fears are silly. Mrs. Martin must think we’re all a bunch of scaredy cats to give us such a topic to talk about.

“Welcome, students,” Mrs. Martin said with a smile. “I hope each one of you is ready to share with the class about what you’re afraid of. Sometimes when we talk about our fears, they become less frightening. Annette, why don’t you begin?”

Annette stood in front of the class. Her blue eyes were very gloomy and she fingered her blonde curls nervously as she described her fear of the dark.

“At night I see shadows in my room,” she said hesitantly. “They seem to move sometimes . . .” She shivered and couldn’t continue.

“Shadows are neat, Jason thought. “You’re just a scaredy cat,” he whispered when Annette sat down next to him.

Annette lowered her head and a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Class, how do you deal with your fear of the dark?” Mrs. Martin asked.

Several hands went up.

“Christopher?”

“I keep a night-light on – that way, it’s not dark!”

The class laughed.

Only sissies use a night-light, Jason thought.

“That’s an excellent idea, Christopher,” Mrs. Martin said.

“Marsha?”

“I ask God to help me not to be afraid,” Marsha replied.

“I’m sure that helps a lot,” Mrs. Martin commented.

“Claire?”

“I read a story before I go to sleep. Then I think about the story characters and not about the dark.”

“That’s a good idea, too. Well, Annette, you’re not the only one who has been afraid of the dark. Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. Perhaps some of these suggestions will help you to overcome this fear,” the teacher said.

Annette nodded her head and wiped the tear from her cheek.

“Michael, it’s your turn,” Mrs. Martin said, turning to a student on the front row.

Michael’s red hair seemed to turn even redder, and his freckles deepened in color as he described his fear of thunderstorms.

“I dive under the covers when I hear a clap of thunder or see lightning,” he said. “It’s really scary,” he admitted.

What a sissy Michael is, Jason thought. Only babies are afraid of thunderstorms.

“Well, class, how can we help Michael?”

More hands went up than before.

“Marsha?”

“My father says God sends thunderstorms so we will have enough rain for our flowers, trees, and crops. And the lightning is so we can see what God is doing for us.”

“What a nice way to look at it, Marsha.”

“Tommy?”

“I make a game out of it and count the booms and flashes. That makes it fun!”

“That does sound like fun,” Mrs. Martin agreed with a smile.

“I never thought of those ideas,” Michael said as he sat down with a more relaxed expression on his face.

“Charlotte, will you share with us your fear?” Mrs. Martin asked.

Charlotte stood in front of the class with her brown eyes sparkling.

“It’s bugs,” she said without hesitation. “I hate bugs!”

Jason snickered and said to Michael. “Isn’t that just like a girl to be afraid of bugs?”

“Well, class. How can we help Charlotte with her fear of bugs?”

Several hands were raised.

“Mike, you like bugs. How can you help Charlotte not be afraid of them?”

“Bugs are interesting,” Mike replied. “Maybe if she learned more about them she wouldn’t be afraid.”

"Would that help, Charlotte?” Mrs. Martin asked.

“I don’t know,” Charlotte replied. “Like what?”

“I’m doing a science report of bugs,” Mike replied. “Why don’t you read my report and see why bugs are so interesting?”

“OK,” Charlotte replied, still somewhat unconvinced as she returned to her desk.

“Jason, it’s your turn.”

Jason walked to the front of the classroom ready to tell his classmates it was silly to have fears about things like the dark, thunderstorms, or bugs. But when he looked out over the class and saw all of the eyes staring at him, his palms suddenly felt damp and his legs became like rubber.

“Ah . . . uh . . . fears are silly . . .” he started to say and couldn’t continue. And then Jason realized he was afraid of something. He was afraid to speak in front of a group!

With his eyes lowered and his cheeks turning red, he went back to his desk without giving his report.

Mrs. Martin went over to Jason and put her hand on his shoulder.

“Students, how can we help Jason with his fear of speaking in front of the class?”

Mike raised his hand. “Dad said to remember you probably know more about your subject than the people listening do. And they are interested in what you have to say.”

“That’s very good advice, Mike. Charlotte?”

“Maybe it would help if Jason remembers we’re all his friends.”

“What a nice thought, Charlotte. Thank you. Mike?”

“It’s easier for me to talk about something I like a lot – like bugs!” He smiled at Charlotte who squirmed in her seat.

“That’s a very good idea, Mike. We’ll look forward to your report on bugs later. I think these suggestions can be used by all of us when we speak to a group,” Mrs. Martin concluded. “Will these ideas help you with your next report, Jason?”

The redness in Jason’s face had faded and he nodded his head.

“I’ll be ready next time,” he assured Mrs. Martin.

And he knew he would be. The next topic was to be on “A Favorite Sport.” And his was soccer. As team goalie, he knew he could talk about that. In fact, he could hardly wait to tell the class about the exciting game with the Panthers.

Jason realized that, in spite of his boasting about his own bravery and making fun of his friends’ fears, they had not responded to him in the same way. Instead they taught him that friends help, not hurt each other – a lesson he would not soon forget.