I’m flying high after facing fear

For you it might be spiders, but it was fear of flying that held Leanne Mallett back for years. That is until she found a new level of trust in her Heavenly Father...

As I write this, I’m at 35,000 feet in the air on a plane heading to our holiday destination. Flying is something I’ve actively avoided; swerved for many years. Let’s just say I wasn’t a fan of flying ‒ actually, if I’m honest, I was terrified of it. This fear stopped us as a family going to many destinations abroad together for many, many years. We did travel, but I always managed to convince everyone that cruises or holidays within the UK were the best option. I was content with any holiday plan that didn’t involve being in the air.

When I think about many common fears people have ‒ like heights or spiders ‒ many of them seem irrational to others and can be hard to understand. A lot of people couldn’t grasp my fear of flying, but for me, it was very real, and no amount of ‘you’ll be fine’ reassurances made it any easier. I’d pretty much accepted that I would never fly again unless absolutely necessary. This was frustrating, not only for my family but for me as well. It limited the places where we could go and experience together. So, this year I realised the only way I was going to get past this was to face it head-on – and so we booked the holiday.

A while back, I shared how God brought me through a battle with breast cancer, how he held my hand through all the treatments, procedures, and uncertainties. I was face to face with one of my biggest fears during that journey. However, I didn’t fully realise how much it helped me to confront other fears ‒ until now. As I walked onto the plane I felt such a peace that, again, I recognised and I knew was from him.

When you’re facing something beyond your control, you learn to rely completely on God. You experience his closeness, faithfulness, love, and comfort. I learned first-hand that he is a very present help in times of trouble.

I’m sure that when I reach our destination, I’ll be asking myself why I didn’t face this fear sooner. Why did I fear it so much? If I try to answer that, it was probably the thought of being thousands of feet in the air that unsettled me. I found it hard to grasp how that could be completely safe.

To overcome that fear, I knew I had to trust the aircraft ‒ and more importantly, the pilot at the controls. But even more than that ‒ I had to trust my Heavenly Father, the one who is truly in control of our lives. As I sit here, I realise that many of our fears are simply ‘noise’ from the enemy, who is trying to stop you stepping in to all that God has for you.

Sometimes, fears are rooted in something deeper, and it’s wise to seek God and ask him to reveal the root cause. He can help you confront and deal with whatever it is.

Isaiah 41:10 is a verse that has meant so much to me over these past few years. It’s a verse that I can testify is a promise from God: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Whatever fear you’re facing, whether it seems irrational, small, or even something pretty big, know that your feelings matter to God. He wants to walk through it with you hand in hand. Your fear may not be flying, but whatever it is know that as you face it, the hand of Jesus is firmly placed in yours.

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.