Everyone knows what it’s like to be afraid. Fear is that strong, very uncomfortable feeling we get when we think something could be dangerous or painful. There are many things that can make us feel afraid. Maybe for you it’s spiders, big dogs, or the dark. No matter what the cause is, fear is a feeling everyone experiences. When you’re afraid, you want someone to tell you everything is going to be okay, don’t you?
Whenever an angel appeared in the Bible, one of the first things he says is “Fear not.” Having an angel visit you sounds amazing, but a big, strong angel suddenly appearing in front of you out of nowhere would be scary. When Gabriel came to Mary, she was troubled. She didn’t understand his unusual greeting. God sent the angel to give Mary the most wonderful news, and He didn’t want her to have any fear about it. So, Gabriel responded to Mary’s deep concern and told her not to be afraid. Just like He used Mary as part of His plan to send Jesus, He wants to use us to share the good news of Jesus with others. And when He speaks, there’s no reason to be afraid.
As a family, find pictures from magazines or online of things that people might fear. (Come up with ideas that aren’t terrifying to your kids to keep this project general.) Glue or tape the pictures in the center of a piece of paper. Draw a big circle around the pictures with a big line through it. Write on the top of the paper “Do not be afraid!” Use this as a reinforcement that we don’t have to be afraid because God is with us.
