Recently while remodeling our downstairs bathroom, I was surprised to find on our newly purchased vanity, a warning sticker. It wasn’t a label telling me that this solid wood vanity was pricey (I already knew that) or that I should read completely the instructions on how to install it (I didn’t do that). No, it was a warning sticker telling me that the state of California determined that “drilling, sanding, or machining wood products generates wood dust, a substance known to the state of California to cause cancer…”.  Really.  Has anyone warned Norm Abram at the New Yankee Workshop?!?

Just what is it about the state of California and their incessant need to find things that cause cancer in lab rats?  Apparently they have a division in their state government that hates rodents and does its best to find ways of slowly killing them via exposure to every known substance on earth.  I’m still trying to figure out just how long it took California to get the lab rats sufficiently trained in wood working in order to conduct these tests.

So while it seems that California should change its official state motto from “Eureka! I have found it” to “Eeek! It’s going to kill me”, we need to be reminded that God does not want us to live our lives in fear.  The inauguration of His plan to redeem the world through His Son Jesus Christ, repeatedly involved the words “Do not be afraid”.  God’s angel Gabriel spoke these words first to Zechariah (Luke 1:13) and to Mary as well (Luke 1:30).  Joseph was also comforted with this same instruction in his dream (Matthew 1:20).

This same theme ran through the pontificate of St. John Paul II, undeniably the greatest pope with which our modern world has been blest.  In his inaugural homily he urged the world to be not afraid: “Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power”; “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ”; “Do not be afraid. Christ knows ‘what is in man'”.  He reiterated this in his book ‘Crossing The Threshold Of Hope’ where he succinctly tells us why we should not be afraid: “Why should we have no fear? Because man has been redeemed by God”.  (Insert retroactive MIC DROP by the Pope here).

It’s very easy to live our lives in fear of what may or may not happen, and very easy to be distracted by the fears that governments, the media, or terrorists try to force on us.  We let our imaginations run amuck and before you know it, we’re cowering in a dark corner.  Jesus tells us not to be like that in Matthew 6:34 “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself”.  Jesus wants us out there living out our lives the way God intended-  living them to their fullest potential in glorious praise of Him!