I find that gratitude can turn many things around, or at least, turn my mind around. One silly example (not a "fear" example), it seemed that everywhere we went, and I mean everywhere, I had to change the toilet paper roll. Didn't matter where we went, whatever house we were in I had to hunt for the roll and put it on the roller. On our last trip to visit hubby's relatives, it was constant! I found myself grumbling about it...then one day heard God ask me "and what if this was all I ever asked of you?" And I responded "Well, if I knew it was you asking me to do this, I would do it gladly." And immediately that scripture came to mind - whatsoever you do...you do to me".

Since then, I've begun to see the blessing in changing the roll - the list is long when you think of it...many people in the world don't have running water...I have running water, an indoor toilet, toilet paper (a precious commodity in most of the world), a warm place to sit, nice fragrances to dissipate the not-so-nice fragrances...the list goes on...I can do this with everything. Doing dishes - how lucky are we to have food to put on those dishes! And hot running water, soap, a place to cook the food that went on those plates - again the list is endless when you start thinking reasons to be grateful.

I have to remember this gratitude thing when I'm confronted with fear...perhaps even the attempt to come up with things to be grateful for is a distraction from the fear!