Let the facts be bigger than your fears.

We’ve all seen the shirts or read the quotes that say, "Let your faith be bigger than your fears." It sounds beautiful. But if I’m being honest, just repeating that phrase doesn’t automatically helped me move past my fear and take action.

Recently, a talk with a long-time friend gave me a major "aha" moment about this. She was sharing how encouraging it has been to witness my personal growth. She reminded me of how much I used to self-deprecate and how often she had to remind me of my own value.

"You’ve truly changed," she said. "What did it for you?"

Without hesitation, I answered: "Knowing the facts." So what is the key, facts help when my faith is shaky.

I remember when my husband and I traveled to Mexico to celebrate our Anniversary in April and visited a cenote, a natural, water-filled sinkhole formed by collapsed limestone bedrock, exposing crystal-clear groundwater. (And yes, I absolutely Googled that definition, so don't think I’m a cenote expert!)

There we were, life jackets on. I managed to climb down the ladder, but I just sat there, watching everyone else swim in the deep water. I stood on the sidelines,  wanting to jump in so badly. My husband kept saying, “Honey, come in! The life jacket will keep you afloat.” I heard him, and I trust him completely, but fear still kept me frozen on those stairs.

I only learned to swim a little in my 30s after being terrified to even try. Because I haven’t kept up with it, any water where my feet can’t touch the bottom is usually a hard no for me. So, in that moment, my faith wasn't conquering my fear.

But then I started looking at the evidence. I saw people jumping from the top, and they weren’t sinking. They wore the exact same life jackets. I looked at my husband, who was offering to hold my hand.

Suddenly, it clicked. I could sit there gripped by fear, or I could trust the facts. If I walked away, I knew I would regret choosing fear over facts.

So, I told my husband, "I will try."

I asked him to hold my hands, stepped into the water, and the life jacket did exactly what it was designed to do. It held me up. After a moment of trusting those fact, I was even able to let go a little from my husband and float by myself. The beautiful thing is that because of that even thought I was terrified I was able to go snorkeling because I knew the lifejacket will hold me up.

The facts that moved me from fear to action were: My husband would never tell me to do something if he didn’t believe I was safe. People were floating peacefully all around me; no one was struggling to stay afloat.

The facts moved me forward. The facts gave me faith. The facts helped me overcome my fear.

Romans 10:17 says, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Faith grows from truth, from facts. I think about the many ways God has helped me move from fear to faith simply by showing me the evidence of His truth.

My friend and I talked for a long time as she listened to the realizations that have helped me grow. Now, I am so excited to launch a program where women can discover more about themselves, gain practical tools for daily life, and embrace the powerful facts about who they are that often go unnoticed.

P.S If you are a woman who loves spaces for self-discovery and growth, I would love to connect with you. The group starts September 8.

If you are curious about my Christian Coaching program, message me or comment "INTERESTED" below so we can chat and I can tell you more.

Remember: let the facts be bigger than your fears, and enjoy the adventure!