Conquering Fear.

Conquering fear can be difficult. Fears vary from person to person and are often deeply rooted in the past However, Carol reminds us that God can help us in conquering our personal fears.

My Fear of Heights

Sometimes life can feel like a puzzle piece that you can’t find the spot it needs to fit into. At other times, those pieces seem to fall into place with little effort on the part of the person piecing them together. One of those difficult puzzle pieces of my life involves my fear of heights.

I don’t like heights, never have. I can manage to be in a sky scrapper and look out over the scenery below and in the distance, maybe because I feel protected by all the steel and sturdy construction materials. Elevators don’t bother me unless they are those ones with the glass cages. Then I look at the door – something solid – and don’t panic. Escalators not so much.

A swinging bridge, high above a river adds another level of fear to the fear equation. Height plus movement, instead of stability, makes me shy away from these situations. Stories of people making the bridges sway extra, on purpose, to terrorize those walking on them, made me promise myself to never step foot on one.

Conquering Fear at the Souris River Bridge

One day I stood beside my oldest daughter staring across the 604-foot swinging bridge span, high across the Souris River. My daughter, who held no fear of such things, promised to not make the bridge intentionally sway more than it normally would with walking on it if I crossed it with her, or at least attempted to walk a short distance out on it. She encouraged me to just try.

The bridge appeared sturdy with thick, heavy metal handrails. Steel cables held the handrails to the bridge structure. The information about the bridge said many people used this everyday—locals and tourists alike. Then I watched someone else stride across without pause or concern. The bridge swayed less than I expected.

I took a few tentative steps out on to the bridge. At this point on the bank it was not far to the ground beneath but looking ahead that changed quickly. One step at a time I began to move towards the other side, conquering my fears of height and movement. I made it to the middle of the span and paused to survey the wonderful view from a new perspective. The sun glinted off the water far below and the trees lined the shoreline far into the distance. A castle like structure peeked from the tree tops on the opposite side. I became curious to find out what building this might be, but to do that I needed to complete the journey, step by step.

Many Things Make us Fearful

We face many things in life that make us fearful. Hard things. New things. Challenges. God asks us to trust Him, let Him takes those fears, and replace them with courage. But first we must take a step of faith before we can see what He has in store for us. In Joshua 3, God makes a way for the Israelites to cross the Jordan River, in flood stage, so they could enter the Promised Land. Joshua gave the priests God’s instructions in Joshua 3: 8,

“And as for you (Joshua) command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.”

In Joshua 3: 13,

“And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

The priests had to stand still in the raging waters before God miraculously stopped the river so the people could cross on dry ground. They had to conquer their fears of flood water to see the miracle of God.

God’s Help in Conquering Fear

I conquered my fear of heights and swinging bridges that day as my daughter encouraged me. I made it all the way across and back again. I even began to enjoy the day, the scenery, and the exhilaration of stepping out of my comfort zone. What fears do we need God to help us conquer today?

Joshua 1: 9,

“Have I not command you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go”

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