When Fear and Faith Collide: A Camping Trip Reminder
This past week, our family packed up for a camping trip—a trip where marshmallows were sweet, campfires were cozy, and where fear and faith collided in ways I’ll never forget. Some parts of the trip stretched me far beyond my comfort zone.
And by “stretched,”I mean white-knuckle,why-am-I-doing-this-to-myself kind of stretched.
Crossing Canada’s Longest Suspension Bridge
Friends, this was not a bridge. This was a glorified tightrope with handrails strung across a canyon. My family skipped across like carefree squirrels on a powerline, while I clung to the side like it was the last solid thing on earth. Let’s just say my “walk” was more of a sideways crawl.
By the time I reached the other side, my kids cheered like I had just won Olympic gold in “Most Dramatic Bridge Crossing.”
That bridge reminded me of something important: sometimes we don’t conquer fear with style or grace. Sometimes it’s sweaty palms, shaky knees, and laughter from the peanut gallery behind you. But even then—especially then—God is with us, steadying our steps.
The Bible says,
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control”
2 Timothy 1:7
Fear may whisper, but it doesn’t get the final word.
Climbing the Sleeping Giant Trail: Fear on the Heights
Next came the Sleeping Giant Trail in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. Now, the brochures didn’t make it look easy—in fact, we were warned it would be a difficult trail. And yet, we laced up our hiking shoes, packed our water bottles, and set out intentionally, determined to meet the challenge.
Step after step, the climb was as relentless as promised. And when we finally came upon the cliffs—the highest in Ontario—we stood there with shaky knees but grateful hearts, knowing this was the view we had worked for.
As I gripped the rock at the top, heart pounding, I realized how much this climb mirrored life’s fears. We all face giants that loom tall and try to keep us small—fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of the unknown. But Scripture reminds us:
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge...”
Psalm 18:2
Standing on that cliff, I knew I couldn’t trust my wobbly knees, but I could trust my steady God.
Faith Tested at the Cliff’s Edge
Here’s where my faith and fear really collided: lunch at the top. While my family was happily chomping on sandwiches, I was too busy envisioning worst-case scenarios to eat. I made everyone promise there would be no “horsing around” near the edge. Mothers, you know that tone—the one that means “if you disobey me,you’ll dread what’s coming next.”
After taking in the view, we started our trek back down. I was near the front, comforted by the silence behind me. “They must be as awestruck as I am,” I thought.
Wrong.
Later, scrolling through my husband’s phone in the truck, my horror was confirmed: while I thought everyone was reverently tiptoeing behind me, my husband and youngest daughter had stayed back at the cliff edge. And not just stayed back—they had posed for pictures, dangling their feet over the abyss like they were in a mall photo booth.
Friends, this is why my hair is turning gray.
But even then, I heard the whisper of God reminding me:
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you”
Psalm 56:3
Facing Our Giants with Courage in Christ
Here’s the truth: giants don’t always look like nine-foot soldiers holding spears. Sometimes they look like suspension bridges, steep cliffs, or even the quiet “what-ifs” that keep us up at night. But no matter the shape, the answer is the same: Jesus.
He is our Anchor when our knees wobble. He is our Rock when the cliffs feel too high. And He is our faithful Shepherd who walks with us, whether we’re crawling sideways across a bridge or standing on the mountaintop view.
So whatever giant you’re facing today—grief, fear, uncertainty, or simply the unknown—remember this:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you”
Deuteronomy 31:6.
And if you happen to see me clinging to the railing on the way there—just cheer me on. I’ll get across eventually. And by God’s grace, so will you.
Trusting God When Fear and Faith Collide
Life will always hand us giants—fears that make our knees shake, uncertainties that leave us clinging to the railing, and moments where our courage feels like it’s hanging by a thread. But those are the very places where God proves Himself faithful.
He doesn’t ask us to march boldly in our own strength; He asks us to trust Him, one shaky step at a time. The suspension bridge, the cliffs, the hard climb—they’re all reminders that courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the decision to keep moving forward with our eyes fixed on Jesus.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you”.
Isaiah 43:2
So let’s be people who face our giants with bold faith, anchored not in our own bravery, but in Christ, our Rock and Redeemer.
Prayer for Courage and Trust
Lord, You know the giants in my life, the fears that feel bigger than me. Teach me to trust You when my knees wobble, to cling to You when the path feels steep, and to rest in the truth that You will never leave me. Give me courage to step forward in faith, holding fast to You—my Anchor, my Rock, and my Deliverer.
Friend, what giant are you facing today? Share in the comments—I’d love to cheer you on as we walk this journey of faith together.