As for having difficulty looking up & smiling, i think it is absolutely dependent on the person.

And for the meaning of the “lambs among wolves” illustration, I believe it can have many meanings. It kinda reminds me of the psalm, where it says “That he prepares a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. Welcoming me there as a guest, anointing my head with oil.” and talks about leading beside still waters, and making a resting place in green pastures…. There’s something about the weak & vulnerable being in a harmonious relationship with predatory ones, where there was no sense of danger. Whatever it means, I like it because it’s a very reassuring thing to meditate on.

What terrifies me? Disapproval, criticism, and putting myself ‘out there’ where I might be open to either. Especially if it is something near and dear to me–probably why I have struggled with my (unpractical) artistic side. New situations and responsibilities scare me, where I have no idea what I’m doing or have no training for. Things like having oversight of the nursery, new job situations, jumping into a farmer’s market as a vendor; all three of these I’ve walked with fear and trembling in the past year. In all of this, I have relied on fervent prayer, and trust that God won’t throw me to the wolves for jollies. He hasn’t yet, and I have survived it all. I get wrapped up in the terror of how I must appear to others, what they may think of me and making a fool of myself to be ridiculed, instead of what God’s word says about stepping out of the boat onto the water; what it says about His grace being sufficient, His redemption complete, and His work in me being brought to completion. getting wrapped up in my own self-centered fear keeps me from looking up and smiling”

As far as “lambs among wolves”–I’m not sure what that looks like, since I try my best to stay out of those situations. But it probably has a lot to do with that “peace beyond comprehension” that comes from knowing God intimately and having the unreasonable trust that comes from that relationship.