Palazzo pants and new boots don’t mix.

Not when I’m in a rush to get to work and I’m holding my teacher bag, over-stuffed purse, tumbler filled with water, and my keys.

Not when I’m trying to balance it all and get my ID badge ready to swipe the card-reader so I can get to my classroom in time to set up for the first round of 7th graders.

Because when one boot catches the leg of those pants, disaster strikes.

And everything – I mean everything – goes flying forward, and I end up face first in the concrete.

Now before you go feeling sorry for me, it could’ve been worse. I was in the drop-off lane, after all. Thankfully no minivan-driving, momma-on-a-mission came barreling through at that particular moment.

The moment of unbridled embarrassment.

And that’s a good thing, because tears welled up. My head pounded. If someone had pulled up at that point, I know the waterworks would’ve burst through.

It’s not that I was hurt beyond a few scrapes and bruises. I’m just a crier.

When stress comes, I cry.

When I’m overwhelmed, I cry.

When I’m running late and juggling responsibilities and wishing for a few more minutes of sleep, I cry.

As I sat there on my knees gathering my spilled life from the street, my mind flashed back to my 16-year-old self.

Cheer tryouts – climbing up, up, up as my two friends hoisted me into the air. But the higher I reached, the more my mind reeled over this thought.

What if I fall?

And sure enough, with a big gust of wind my knees buckled. Down. I. Went.

One broken wrist and a somewhat cool cast later, I resolved never to climb that high again.

I was afraid to fall.

“Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’” Mark 5:33-34 NIV

If only I had courage like this woman in Scripture. We don’t even know her name, yet her bold move showed the kind of character that inspires us all.

Twelve long years of sickness. No doubt she’d tried everything. She’d spent all she had, seen countless doctors, and possibly endured well-meaning advice from friends and family.

Yet she still bled.

So she did the one thing that took the most courage of all. She pressed through the crowd. Notice her state-of-mind as she came to Jesus.

…trembling with fear…

But she didn’t let that stop her. She learned an important lesson that day. One we can learn from her story as well.

Don’t let the fear of falling keep you from trying again.

When I fall at something, my first inclination is to mark that very thing off my list. If I’ve fallen once, I’m bound to fall again, right? But faith means pressing through those dreaded what-ifs and trying again.

In #fearfightingbook, my friend Kelly puts it this way.

“Fear may soon become your springboard to unshakeable faith.”

If the woman hadn’t found the confidence to approach Jesus, she may have stayed hidden away in her home for the rest of her days, never knowing the unmatched love of her Savior.

Ephesians 3:12 says, “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

Will we stay hidden away? Or will we dare to reach again?

Let’s be like the healed woman. Let’s not allow the fear of falling to dictate our direction. We can only imagine the miracles God has planned for us when we overcome our fears.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I did climb back on top of that cheer pyramid – cast and all. (I wish I had a picture to show you.)

So the next time our wardrobe doesn’t cooperate or the gravity of life pulls our feet right out from under, let’s find the faith it takes to get back up again.

Jesus is there waiting for us to reach out with unshakeable faith.

Kristine

If you'd like more information about the book Fear Fighting mentioned in this post, you can find out more by clicking here. You can read more inspiring words from the author, Kelly Balarie, at Purposeful Faith. I know you'll be blessed by her encouragement.

Sometimes I get a wonderful opportunity to meet someone truly genuine. When I meet a writer who fits that description, I like to share her words here with you. My friend Kelly is a gem. She is authentic and real, and she knows how to share God's Word in a fresh new way. I am honored to join in announcing the release of her book, Fear Fighting. Kelly is sharing a little about it here for us today...

I stand agitated and angry; I made him upset yet again.
I stand bare and defenseless, saying, "What can I do to make you happy?"
I stand exposed and exiled, "I will never be enough for you."

I stand stripped and pleading, "Whatever you want me to be, I can be, you will see.
I stand raw and helpless; I am not liked me for me.
I stand before people knowing, they want to use me.

I stand before the playground mother thinking, "I talk too much, speak too quickly, she hates me."
I stand before injurers declaring, “I am not worth hurting again.”

I take a big stand. I morph into the woman that man wants me to be. I smile when I am supposed to. Hold the doors like a good girl. And, offer to help when appropriate. I do what people need me to do.

Yet, the scary part is - I stand before myself and realize I don't even know me.

With all my proving and posturing, I’ve lost me. Somewhere I’ve vanished.

Have you? Have you gotten lost somewhere behind the grand persona you project? Are people demanding you be someone you are not?

It’s easy to blame. The fact of the matter, however, is - blame is the biggest inhibitor to change. I don’t want to get so worried about changing them – I never change me. I’ve done that for so long.

What I want to do, is get so open to letting God change me, he rearranges me in new freedom. In a freedom where I am fearless and hopeful and graceful. Where man doesn’t dictate who I am, but where man is the object of all the love I have. There is a difference there.

This is why I wrote the book, Fear Fighting: Awakening Courage to Overcome Your Fears. It was my freedom-call to God.

So much, I’m finding, of battling against fear, is about submitting your heart to God. This verse summarizes it well: Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Pet. 5:6)

When you get low below God, all he has moves over you. Some of it sinks into you.

This is what I’ve found. Less am I filling other people’s gaps and more am I going to God to fill mine.

What about you? Where is your love sourced from – a place of pleasing man or pleasing God?

Wherever you stand today, God’s grace stands taller, higher and wider. It is never too early or too late to start Fear Fighting. Learn the power of God’s love, the strength of his truth and the depths of new courage he wants to pour out on you.

Interested in fighting fear? Join the 4 Days to Fearless Challenge!

Author and Speaker, Kelly Balarie didn’t always fight fear – for a large part of her life, she was controlled by it. Yet, in her book, Fear Fighting: Awakening Courage to Overcome Your Fears, with God, Kelly charts a new course. Join Kelly, on the journey to go and grow with Christ’s bravery, the Spirit’s counsel and God’s unending love that squelches fear. This book reads like a love letter from God, while offering practical heart-calming prayers, anxiety-reducing tips, and courage-building decrees that will transform your day. www.fearfightingbook.com

Kelly is both a Cheerleader of Faith and a Fighter of Fear. She leans on the power of God, rests on the shoulder of Christ, and discovers how to glow in the dark places of life. Get all Kelly’s blog posts by email or visit her on her blog, Purposeful Faith. You can also find a variety of resources for your fight against fear here.