The following is an excerpt from chapter 8 of Kristine's book, Over It. Conquering Comparison to Live Out God's Plan. To download the free Study Guide, or to find out more about the book, visit the book page here.

Though my sweet mother-in-law mentioned in the book has since gone to be with our Savior in heaven, the lessons I learned from Miss Maulene will stay with me forever.

“When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine. After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. ‘Sir, do you remember me?’ Hannah asked. ‘I am the very woman who stood here several years ago praying to the Lord.’” (1 Sam. 1:24-26).

My precious mother-in-law writes everything down. For as long as I can remember, I picture her sitting in her chair under the dim light of the side table lamp, penning the events of the day. She writes about who comes to visit, the weather, phone calls received, and anything else that reminds her of God’s goodness in her life.

At ninety years old, she still journals every single day. She also keeps her journals, so she can remember.

From her example I have discovered the benefits of writing things down. Some refer to this as a prayer journal—a place to write down our prayers and record how God responds to those prayers. Before I began journaling, I had a hard time remembering all God had done in my life—the miracles, the changes, the answers.

Writing things down cures this short-term memory loss.

In fact, in 20 Ways to Improve Your Memory, an article by psychology expert Kendra Cherry, writing things down is noted as an important tool for boosting memory.

That annoying comparison monster would love for us to forget God’s blessings and begin looking at others with envy. Hannah gives a great demonstration on how to remember, which brings us to our faith statement for this chapter:

We quiet the unwelcome voice of comparison by reminding ourselves of God's goodness. (Tweet this.)

I adore Hannah’s enthusiasm in this Scripture as she approached Eli! I imagine her eyes wide, wanting to take him back to that memory not so long ago when they both experienced God’s presence in such a real way. It was as if she was saying, “Don’t you remember, Eli? We stood right in this very spot when it happened! You and I both saw and heard what God did. Wasn’t it marvelous?”

She went on telling Eli more about the developments since that magnificent day …

“I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life” (1 Sam. 1:28a).

Have you ever received wonderful news, and you couldn’t wait to share it with someone? The kind of news that made you want to call a special person right away, just so they could rejoice with you?

Hannah received the best news of all in the form of a baby boy, but she had to wait a few years to share this incredible report with Eli. She knew he would be the one to appreciate it the most. After all, God used him to speak the prophecy of Samuel’s birth. Now the time had come. Bursting with anticipation, she told Eli the good news. And as the person who would appreciate it most, Eli praised God with her.

“And they worshiped the Lord there” (1 Sam. 1:28b).

As Hannah gave her only son Samuel back to God, she should have been heartbroken. I know I would have been, for sure. But Hannah pressed through potential feelings of worry, fear, and heartbreak. She let go of the what-ifs and uncertainty about the future. She placed herself in an attitude of rejoicing, thanksgiving, and praise.

Remember our faith statement from chapter four? Hannah was all over it…

(To read more about Hannah and other women in Scripture who won the battle with comparison, visit the book page to check out Over It.)

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.