Last week we went on a trip to the mountains with my son and his girlfriend. It was just a quick three-day trip, but so much was accomplished in that short time.

On the first night, while we were in the middle of a pretty competitive game of pool, all of the electricity in the cabin went out. Now, you’ve never truly experienced darkness until you’ve been in a cabin in the woods with zero lights.  This pitch black is a one-of-a-kind pitch black. The sudden disappearance of all light was a bit startling for a brief second, but my husband, in his “run at your Goliath” manner, said, “Hey, let’s go out on the porch and look.”

Now, I’m not a scary movie kind of gal, but apparently, Collette, my son’s girlfriend, is, and she just happened to see one about kids in a cabin in the woods recently. So, when he suggested this, I’m not sure that she was jumping for joy at his fearless idea. The beauty of it is that she chose to step out onto the porch, fear and all. It wasn’t until the next day, though, that she told me about her movie-watching experience and how terribly frightened she was at first. I actually had no idea at the time. But, instead of freezing in her fear, she followed that “modern-day David” onto the porch, and she looked the pitch black unknowns right in the face! 

“And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.”

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17:20, 22-23, 25-26, 48‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Many of us know the encounter’s outcome, but did you notice how he took this on? He RAN at the fear that had shuttered all of those mighty soldiers, men of war-seasoned strong guys. 

David ran at the same fear the mighty men of war froze from! 

That’s who we are supposed to be. That’s the example Jeremy set, and that’s the example Collette followed…

Run at your Goliath!

The following day we chose to do a water rafting trip. Though we were no skilled rafters, our eagerness outweighed our lack of experience. After gearing up and getting a few instructions from our guide, I noticed a look on Collette’s face. She then said, “I thought I’d be sitting in the middle of the raft.”

When it comes to white water rafting, each paddler tucks their foot into the raft (pretty much your only safety belt, ha) and sits up high on the side; sitting in the middle safe place is not an option. She then said, “I don’t really like dark water.”

Well, here we were. Standing on the bank of the “dark water,” looking at our on the edge floating raft.

Here was her chance to say, “Nope, I’m out of here.”

But do you know what that modern-day Jochebed (Moses’ mother) said? “Let’s do this!”

She cautiously stepped into that rubber floating basket and chose to face all of its unknown – together with us! As we were racing the course, the guide said, “Hey, even if you fall In, you’re safe. You have a life jacket that will keep you from sinking”.

The lesson I heard when he spoke those words was this:

This is how to face all of life! Even if we fall overboard, we still have a life jacket…his name is Jesus!! In reality, there is no true failure, just lessons and blessings. If I fall overboard, I learn how to maneuver better the next time. I may be a little wet and kind of a mess, but I’m still okay!

I usually start reflecting on what I did wrong and what I want I can do better the next try right about the time He’s pulling me back into the boat.

Fear though not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:10

Uphold you with my right hand…that’s the life jacket, baby!!

I referred to Collette as Jochebed because, just like Moses’ mother, what would happen once we were in that floating basket was not clear but what was clear was that facing the fear was the only option.

But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket^[a] for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

Exodus 2:3-4

Fear of the unsure, unknown, and what if’s should never stop us from doing what we know in our hearts we are to do! We believe He works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. And, His will is Always for our Good/Best!

On the last day, we decided we wanted to go to the top of the 10,000-foot elevation mountain. When we arrived, I realized that the ride to the top was not an enclosed box but a swinging chair lift ( I may have thought about calling it a few other words other than a chair lift, and some words may have had four letters but none the less I held my peace). In case you are wondering, it did not have seat belts. How about a safety harness? Nope…so here I am about to get swooped up into a flying hammock when I looked over at her. Once again, that look.

In this scenario, however, I, too, had that look. That frightful feel and that heartbeat in my throat – but you know what? In the last two days, I had seen this young woman look fear in the face, run at her Goliaths, and be faithful. Led to success. Was I about to shrink in fear from this two-mile high swing set, or was I too going to believe that fear has no hold on me too?  As we were whisked away into a foot-dangling flight, she said, ”I’m kind of scared of heights.”

Now you tell us? Ha! Yes, the theme I saw over these three days was that she never let her fears cause her to freeze or turn back. She accepted that they were in front of her, walkedinto them, and then ran through them with great success and this fearful moment was no exception.

We were in it, and like it or not, we were about to be on the top of the mountain, as long as we didn’t turn back in fear!