We all live with a sense of vulnerability. Of course, it is a sliding scale subject to change at any moment. There is no logical reason for this; it is just how we human beings are made.

The rub is this (and there is always a rub), we don’t feel comfortable admitting this to society, for society is where we live out our pretensions and subsequent tensions.

It is clear to me why I live in fear and vulnerability. My son and I are the only family we have in town and we are both introverted and independent. One more blow to our family and we will fall like dominoes.

Oh, you say, don’t you believe in God? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. I have spent my life studying both man and God and I have not yet conquered fear. And neither have you!

So how do we live? I live as quietly and simply as I can. I am aging and both of my feet are numb at this point. Literally. I have good doctors and all that; nevertheless it will only get worse. I have to choose what I do and when I do it. Luckily, my calendar is mostly blank!

So how have I managed to write hundreds upon hundreds of essays on spirituality? Because that is the tiny talent that I was given and I did not bury it. That is one of the few things I have done right.

But back to fear. Don’t tell me you don’t have things that keep you up at night. God loves us in the middle of the night and in the midst of our fears. He knows we are afraid. It is best that we know it, too.

Vicki Woodyard