Your Greatest Fear Could Save You.
Posted on November 03, 2019 by William Farrand, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
Think about what your greatest fear is and the possibility of that fear actually being your salvation. Here is a true story of fear and protection
When I was a boy I lived part of my childhood in the Philippines. My parents were educators and we lived on a college campus. Often visiting educators would stay in our home and during breakfast one morning a Korean pastor shared this personal story with us.
During the winter he was in the Korean mountains visiting several small churches. After one long day as it was getting on toward evening, he debated going to the next village or staying where he was. The mountain where the village was located was also home to the native Amur tiger also known as the Siberian tiger. The village residents cautioned him about traveling after dark for two reasons: First, during winter the temperature could fall quickly and he could risk freezing to death. Second, the Amur tigers would hunt in the evening as the colder temperatures would slow their prey for an easy kill.
The pastor, in spite of several warnings, believed he could get to the next village before dark. After about an hour into his trek, a freak mountain snow squall blew in. He quickly realized his decision to get to the next village was a foolish one. Blinded by the snow he lost his way. Evening darkness and the freezing temperature overtook him. Feeling the effects of hyperthermia he realized without help he was going to die. When he could no longer keep his eyes open, he lay down in the snow accepting his fate. “God… please take me or protect me,” he prayed as he drifted off to sleep.
After some time had passed he woke up. He felt oddly warm and snug. He wondered if he had frozen to death and was in some type of transition to the next life. And then he heard it. A deep, low rumbling purr. Feeling the hot breath on the back of his neck he forced his eyes open to discover an Amur tiger had wrapped itself around his body like a big living fur blanket. The tiger was asleep. Taking slow, deep breaths he forced himself not to panic. He realized the tiger had saved him and had become his protector. His panic subsided and he fell back into a deep sleep.
The next morning he awoke to sunshine on his face. The tiger was still firmly hugging his body. “Now what,” he thought. He did not want to startle the tiger, but he did need to continue his journey. He quietly spoke to the tiger in Korean…
“Mr. Tiger. Thank you for a warm and pleasant night’s sleep. Thank you for protecting me from the cold weather. Thank you for your kindness and bravery, but I must now continue on my journey.” The tiger’s eyes opened and he yawned. He got up and stretched. The Korean pastor did the same. They both looked at each other for about a minute.
“Mr. Tiger,” the Korean pastor said, “thank you again. If you come to my village to visit me I will give you a big bowl of warm milk.” Then the tiger darted up the mountainside and was gone. The pastor remembered his prayer, “God… please take me or protect me.”
In the Korean mountains, there are two great fears. Being caught in a snowstorm and freezing to death, and being killed and eaten by an Amur tiger. One fear had saved the Korean pastor from the other. Consider this…
We spend a lot of time being fearful of things that could actually be good for us. The story is an unlikely and extreme example, but it is a true one told by the person who experienced it. What you may be facing is probably not as extreme, but just as terrifying. Take a few calming breaths, settle your nerves and focus on how your greatest fear could possibly save you.
