Afraid, Not!

Danny Schmidt won't get out of bed, won't take off his sunglasses in class, and won't say how he got that black eye. When the truth comes out, it's worse than any lie he told: a bigger girl named Melissa has been stalking him through the woods, demanding he say he likes her - and punching him when he won't. The police send Melissa packing, but Danny's fear stays behind, and telling himself "I'm not afraid!" only works until he hears footsteps on the path. Enter Whit, who admits even he gets scared sometimes, and teaches Danny a verse from Isaiah: "Have no fear, for I am with you." The next morning Danny walks the woods alone... straight into Rusty Gordon, who wants his lunch money. But this time Danny stands his ground, shouting the verse until the flustered bully calls him crazy and runs off - proof that courage isn't about never being afraid.

Found on A Journey of Choices Album 20 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

0255 The Boy Who Cried 'Destructo!' When an imaginative boy's make-believe spy game leads him to a real crime, his history of tall tales means no one will believe the danger is genuine.

1 of 3 0256 Aloha, Oy! A prize trip to Hawaii turns into anything but a relaxing getaway when the Barclays discover they won't be vacationing alone.

2 of 3 0257 Aloha, Oy! A Hawaiian vacation goes sideways when a lovestruck teen's risky stunts, a broken-down rental car, and a trip to Pearl Harbor each set the two families on a collision course with trouble.

3 of 3 0258 Aloha, Oy! A parasailing mishap, a sinking tour boat, and a chase through Honolulu collide as two vacationing families scramble to salvage their Hawaiian day - and Lawrence makes one last attempt to catch up with his Navy father.

0259 The Potential in Elliot A study session with the school's oddball young scientist forces Sam to confront what teasing a dreamer might really cost.

0260 Naturally, I Assumed... Eugene's daily library visits to Katrina come to a sudden halt when she mentions a mysterious "him" she can't keep waiting, sending Eugene - with Connie as his self-appointed romance coach - into a comedy of unspoken feelings and mistaken conclusions.

0261 Afraid, Not! Danny Schmidt's mysterious black eye and his refusal to explain it force him to confront the shame of being bullied and the fear that lingers long after the danger seems past.

0262 A Prayer for George Barclay With their unemployed father strangely at peace while the family sells off what they own, two kids decide to pray him into a new job - and get an answer no one saw coming.

0263 When Bad Isn't So Good When a well-behaved kid decides the only way to get noticed is to be bad, his scheme collides with a bitter theater owner whose insult-fueled radio fame is setting the whole town on edge.

0264 Making the Grade When career day sparks Jimmy's dream of becoming a paramedic, he discovers the job may demand far more than enthusiasm and a first-aid book.

0265 War of the Words A vocabulary spat between two Whit's End employees spirals out of control when a misheard word takes on a life of its own among the kids of Odyssey.

0266 It Began with a Rabbit's Foot... When budget cuts cost Katrina her college library job, a new position at Whit's End unsettles Eugene - and prompts Whit to recall how a rabbit's foot led to the Bible Room.

0267 ... It Ended with a Handshake When a personal computer disk goes astray, Eugene must scramble to keep his most private feelings from reaching the one person they're about - Katrina.

Featured characters

John Whittaker Hal Smith

Minor characters & crew 7 more roles

7 supporting roles

Rusty Gordon (Malone) Shawn Svoboda Laura Schmidt Pamela McIntosh Detective Aldridge Betsy Speer Danny Schmidt Danny Schmittler Steven Schmidt Brad McMurray Principal Hughes Lucille Bliss Mr. Richards Hugh Farrington

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Paul McCusker Writer · Producer Phil Lollar Director Bob Luttrell Sound Designer · Producer Chuck Bolte Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 3 min

Danny Schmidt refuses to get out of bed for school but will not tell his parents why. He is not sick and has no forgotten test, so his father finally orders him to dress and go. In class, Danny keeps his sunglasses on until Mr. Richards threatens to make him miss recess. When he removes them, the teacher discovers a severe black eye. Danny first claims that he tripped and struck a rock, but Mr. Richards does not believe him and takes him to the nurse.

The principal, Mrs. Hughes, calls Danny’s mother to the school. Since Danny’s eye was uninjured when he left home, the adults conclude that something happened on the way. Danny invents another explanation about falling on a rock and being hit by a bat. When his mother warns him against lying, he finally admits that someone punched him but begs not to identify the person.

Patient questioning reveals that another child has been following Danny every morning, even when he changes routes. The child is larger than Danny, attends a different school, and is a girl. Danny is ashamed to say that she thinks he is cute and has demanded that he say he likes her. When he refused, she pushed him around. That morning she caught him, threatened him, and punched him in the eye.

Danny has hidden the truth because he fears his classmates will laugh at a boy who was hit by a girl. His mother assures him that embarrassment must never prevent him from telling his parents when he is in danger. Mrs. Hughes contacts the police, who watch the woods the next morning and find a girl hiding there.

Danny identifies Melissa Bowler, a student from Macalester Elementary who has been skipping school. Detective Aldridge explains that Melissa developed a crush on Danny and used bullying to force his attention. Because the Schmidts do not press charges, the police warn Melissa and her parents, require them to make sure she attends school, and order her to stay away from Danny.

The immediate danger has been addressed, but Danny’s fear remains. He worries that the students will tease him and that Melissa may ignore the warning. After school, he stays in the classroom until everyone else has left because he is afraid to walk home through the woods. He declines Mr. Richards’s offer of a ride, insisting that accepting help would show everyone he is still frightened.

Along the path, every sound makes Danny more anxious. He repeatedly tells himself that he is not afraid, then panics when he hears someone following him. He runs, falls, and begs Melissa not to hurt him. The approaching person is actually Whit, who is taking a walk. Danny becomes sick from the terror and confesses that he has been trying to make his fear disappear by denying it.

Whit tells him that a frightening experience can continue affecting someone even after the threat is gone. Healing may take time, and needing his father to drive him would not make Danny a coward. Whit admits that he also becomes afraid sometimes. What helps him is remembering that God remains beside him in good and bad circumstances.

Whit teaches Danny Isaiah 41:10, beginning, “Have no fear, for I am with you.” As they walk home together, Danny practices the verse about God strengthening, helping, and upholding him. His father had planned to share the same passage and is grateful that Whit has already helped.

The next morning, Danny chooses to walk to school. His parents caution him not to rush, but he wants to rely on the verse he has memorized. In the woods, fear returns and he stumbles over parts of the words. This time the footsteps belong to Rusty Gordon, who mocks the black eye and demands Danny’s lunch money every day in exchange for using the path.

Danny refuses. When Rusty threatens him with another black eye, Danny recites Isaiah 41:10 aloud. His voice grows stronger as he remembers the full verse. Rusty becomes unnerved, worries that the shouting will attract trouble, calls Danny crazy, and leaves without the money.

Whit has heard part of the confrontation and tells Danny that standing up to Rusty required real courage. Danny still feels shaken, but he has not allowed fear to control his choice. Whit asks to walk with him, joking that perhaps Whit is the one who feels afraid. Danny agrees and offers to teach him a useful verse before they reach school.