Never Have I Ever

Don’t let fear stop you from trying new things!

I love summer. Everything about it. I wish it lasted longer. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand people who like the cold and winter and dreariness. (That’s besides my point, but I just wanted to throw that in there.) One of my favorite things about summer is going out with friends and doing fun things. As my siblings and I have gotten older, we have been able to do a lot more together on our own, which is awesome. This particular summer, I had a couple very new experiences that were so much fun! However, if I would have let even the slightest bit of fear hinder me, I wouldn’t have gotten to experience those things, and wouldn’t know what would’ve happened if I had tried them.

The first thing I did that I hadn’t done before is take a day trip with my two best friends to a lake about three hours away. The trip wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for my friends, who were the ones who initiated and planned it, but I am so glad they did! I was a little worried about all the things that could go wrong (my main fear having car trouble, probably), but I really did want to go. And it turned out to be the best day of my summer! It was an amazing day. None of us girls had ever done anything quite like that before, going on that long of a trip as the oldest people, driving ourselves, and everything that goes into that. We haven’t been adults very long, but I knew we were all capable and would probably be just fine, and we were! I definitely thank God for His protection. We didn’t even have to drive in any rain (which had looked like a possibility when viewing the forecast)!

The second thing that I had never experienced before that I was a little scared to try was riding a roller coaster. (Yes, I’m an adult and I’d never done that before. But I have now, and there’s a first time for everything! (-;) I was a little worried about how my body would react to it, hoping I wouldn’t pass out or panic or anything like that, and then on the ride a tiny bit afraid of it breaking and falling (hard) to my death. But I did try it, and I was so happy I did! Though I was a little scared on the ride, I smiled quite a bit, happy that I finally tried one! Though I confirmed my assumption that I am not a roller coaster person, I’m glad I tried it.

Ok, you may be thinking those things were silly things for me to be apprehensive about, but my point is that if we avoid the things we’re nervous about, we won’t know what would’ve happened, or if we would have ended up enjoying the experiences or not. As I’ve gotten older, I have been more open to trying new things and gaining new experiences, even if I am a little nervous at first. I don’t think I’ll get much of anywhere if I don’t, and I’ll miss out on things. And the more I do things that are new to me, the more comfortable I’ll get with them! (In most cases, anyway.) Same for you. Whatever it is that you’re nervous about, if you’ve never done it, I think you should seriously consider trying it! You won’t know what it’s truly like until you try it. I don’t want to wait until it’s too late to do new things and make the most of life! There are still things I’ll feel timid about trying. I’m no daredevil. It’s ok if you’re like me and don’t have much of an adventurous spirit, but I really think it’s a good thing to try things you’re scared of. If I never did the things I was scared or timid about, I would’ve missed out on a lot of things. For example, I wouldn’t have gotten my driver’s license, because at first I was scared to drive on real roads. But now I really like to drive and I’m even ok with driving in downtown cities and on busy highways and now a few hours away from home with my friends! Some things I’ve done I’m still not comfortable with, like speaking in front of a crowd, but I can at least say I’ve done it! There is so much to experience in this world, and so little time. I don’t want to have regrets. I don’t want fear or anxiety to control me. Do you?

Remember, if you try something new and don’t like it, you don’t have to do it again. It will all be over and done before you know it. You might not have the chance again. You might really like it! And if you don’t, at least you’ll know for sure you don’t. If you have the Lord in your heart, trust in Him! He is with you and He can protect you. I am so thankful I can turn to Him in my moments of fear and tell Him how I feel and have the assurance He is in control.

Thanks for reading! Have fun trying new things and being brave!

What is something you’ve tried even though you were afraid? How did it turn out? What is something you would like to try, even though you might be a little nervous to? I’d love to hear about it, and perhaps you can be an encouragement to others!