When I was younger, I experienced neglect and emotional bullying from my peers. This led to permanent mental and emotional damage in my interactions with people, the way I see the world, and most significantly--fear. I became so afraid that every person I met had a hidden motive and wanted to hurt me, so I stopped meeting people and wouldn't allow people into my heart. I never wanted to trust again, but God's plan was different from mine, as often happens. He placed in my life some really special people who were kind and patient enough to show me that they would never hurt me, and they won my heart and became my closest friends. They broke through the wall of fear that I had placed around myself. Or, more accurately, God broke through it. He showed me that there is no real reason to be afraid, because He is in total control of our lives and has everything planned out. Some of my very good friends have just graduated or are about to, and chances are this is a very uncertain time for them. But they have no reason at all to fear, because God has everything all worked out already! My best friend likes to remind me that "The phrase 'do not be afraid' is in the Bible 365 times, so we are only allowed to be afraid one day every 4 years!" God tells us so many times that we have no reason to fear. He is light, and fear is of the devil. Darkness cannot exist where light is present, and that should be very comforting to us. And since we know that God is everywhere, fear has no hold on us. Trust in Him with all of your being, and He will hold you close through the thunderstorms of life.