I know Fear intimately
He had been my closest friend
He steered me clear of failing
For he would not let me try
He kept me safe when times got rough
I’d never been embarrassed before
I’d never experienced pain or grief
I’d never took a risk, what a relief
I never had a broken heart
I never had a broken bone
I didn’t know rejection or defeat
I’d never fallen on the ground
I had my friend, Fear, to thank for that
He protected me all these years
The only constant friend I had
The only one I could trust, tried and true
I never questioned his counsel
Until that unforgettable day
When against the will of my friend, I stepped outside
Light flooded my cave, and my heart opened up
My world changed, my vision expanded
I realized my friend was my enemy, my counselor a fiend
He lied, he deceived, and he beat me down
So that I had never learned or developed
Why had he kept me from mistakes and error
From defeat, from pain, from challenges and obstacles
From broken hearts and broken bones, from misery and grief?
How could he never let me know?
For it is through these things that I find what I never knew—
Happiness, joy, victory, contribution, service, and meaning
He never let me discover myself or let my truth shine
And, above all, he kept me from true love
He kept me from preparing myself for you
So thank you for your dramatic rescue
For now I’ve caught the vision
I now have courage and love beyond measure
I forgot my fears and released my old friend from his duty
I am finally living and it is all because of you
I truly know love now, and it fills my life and fuels my soul
And my life is now to serve you
–Jason Westlake
January 2005
