One summer, my fear of heights collided with my faith. I was helping with a group of children and youth at our church on a trip to a water park. There was a gigantic water slide with many bumps and curves, and the top was several flights of stairs up.

Part of me wanted to ride it just to overcome my fear. The other part of me wanted to avoid it. That's when our pastor's son, Jonathan, asked me if I was going up on the slide. I looked at him funny.

"Oh, that's right, you are scared of heights." Jonathan said loud enough for others to hear. "Are you scared of heights, Miss Becky?" one of his friends asked. That's when the teasing started. Jonathan whispered, "I was scared the first time I rode it, too. Come on, I will ride with you." My trust was now in the hands of a preteenager.

We got to the top, and the worker put me on a mat behind Jonathan. "Just hold on to the sides of the mat," The worker told us. I had to trust this stranger, and the security of the construction of the slide.

Jonathan looked at me and smiled. It didn't help the butterfly feeling in my stomach.

The worker counted off, "3, 2, 1" and pushed us off. There was no turning back!

At the bottom, we landed in the pool, and both of us were laughing.

My fear collided with my faith.

Just as I had to trust Jonathan, the worker, and the safety of the slide, in life, we have to learn how to trust God in order to overcome our fears.

Isaiah 41:10a – Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. (NKJV)

There are hundreds of other verses in the Bible in which God promises us that if we will just hang on to Him and trust Him, we will have no need to fear. Through good times and bad, God will always be with us.

Psalm 34:4 – I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. (NIV)

Psalm 46:1-2a – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear. (NKJV)

Those verses tell us that God is for us, and that He will help us through our fears, in spite of the tough stuff in life that we are faced with: challenges like loss, grief, unemployment, health conditions, and yes, maybe even a taller-than-King-Kong water slide.

Just grab on and trust Him.

Did I go back on the slide again? Yes. Next time I went by myself.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, You told us that in this life, we will experience troubles, but thankfully, You overcame the world. (John 16:33) Thank You for loving us and for keeping a watchful eye on us as we journey through this life until we meet You. Amen.

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About the author:

Becky Holland <rlhga@icloud.com>
Empire, Georgia, USA
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