Fear, Where is Thy Sting?

Be not afraid of sudden fear … for the Lord shall be thy confidence,

and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

— Proverbs 3:25–26

Perfect love casts out fear …

— The Science of Mind, page 404

Fear, Where is Thy Sting?

I was at a dental clinic awaiting the results of the X-rays that had just been taken of my teeth. I hadn’t been to the dentist in many years, so I wondered about the work I would need. They called my name and my heart leapt with anxiety. The technician explained that I needed a root canal. I had never heard of a root canal, but I immediately visioned picks, shovels, and jackhammers digging a gigantic canal in my jaw.

I returned to the waiting room and the woman next to me asked about my X-rays. When she heard about the root canal, she began telling me about her daughter’s difficult experience. Without a thought, I “caught” a sense of fear. Soon they called me into the office and prepared me for the first phase of the procedure.

My heart beat violently. I couldn’t breathe and I was actually shaking. I waited for twenty minutes in mortal fear. All at once something inside me said, “Wait a minute! This fear is not yours! Get rid of it!”

A flicker of hope appeared.

I began doing a Tibetan breathing exercise, inhaling deeply through my nose while thinking peace, holding my breath 10 seconds, and exhaling the fear. I continued this and my heart slowed down. The fear began subsiding.

I blessed the hands of the dentist, the assistants, and I blessed my tooth. The procedure turned out to be painless, and as I left the office, I felt an unspeakable joy at having conquered the fear.

That night I turned on the TV just as a man was saying, “The technological advancements of dentistry are amazing. People can now keep all their teeth for a lifetime due to an innovation called … the root canal!”

I am immune to fear.

If a fear inadvertently slips in,

I take deep breaths repeating,

“There is nothing but God.

God is Love.

I am love! I am love!”