One of the best parts of my role as president of Focus on the Family Canada is that I get to have conversations with families across our massive country.

I recently spoke with the mother of Jade, a teen who shares about living out her faith on the football field. Jade is an avid fan of Brio magazine, which supported her in her faith journey and gave direction and guidance in her teen years. “I especially have been so grateful for Brio and the support it has provided for Jade,” her mother said. “I love how excited she gets before each new issue and will talk for at least a week before the magazine is released and checks for it daily at the mailbox. She also has been able to encourage other people with Brio and often shares her magazines with friends.”

It's a great honour to share Jade’s testimony of faith in action:

Faith over fear

The pastor's voice was a dull monotone that washed over me like waves lapping on a sandy beach. I leaned back in the uncomfortable church pew and stared at the clock that seemed to be stuck at quarter past.

Half an hour, I thought. Only half an hour more till we can leave and drive over to the field. My eyes drifted back to the stage where the speaker stood, now waving his hands in an animated pattern only done by pastors.

“You come to me using sword, spear, and javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord All-Powerful, the God of the armies of Israel. . . . Today the Lord will let me defeat you.” Something about the verse the pastor was reading made me sit straighter in my seat. My thoughts no longer wandered as I listened to him describe the story of David and Goliath and how everyone has their own giants to face in life.

After the service ended and I hurried out of the building with my mom and brother, I could not stop thinking about the little shepherd boy who defeated the giant. As I got to the car and settled in for the hour-long drive up-island, I imagined how David must have felt, the courage and faith he must have had.

I was no stranger to giants in my own life. At the age of nine, my dad had passed away in a tragic accident and in the years that followed, I struggled with finding who I was amidst school, a worldwide pandemic, and my mom’s mental health problems. The year before, I had joined a local youth football team. It didn’t matter that I was the only girl on the team or that I had never touched a football in my life; I fell in love with the game. I fell in love with the drive it took to win, the feeling of smashing through bodies to get yardage, of the blood, sweat, and tears needed to achieve. Each day of football came with the giants of opposition and fear, but it also grew me in ways I never thought possible and helped me feel more confident in all areas of my life.

“Are you ready for the game?” my mom’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I nodded but admitted I was nervous. “Remember your armour,” my mom added.

I rolled my eyes at my mother’s reminder but deep down I was grateful for it. The “armour” my mom was referring to was the biblical armour Paul tells believers of Christ to put on in preparation for spiritual battle. I closed my eyes against the blurred scenery outside the car window, and went through the list in my mind:

  • Belt of Truth
  • Breastplate of Righteousness
  • Shoes of Peace
  • Shield of Faith
  • Helmet of Salvation

“God, please help me do well in this game and keep me safe,” I whispered.

On the field, I wriggled my toes inside of my tightly laced cleats and breathed in the scent of mud, grass clippings, and sweat. I stood on the sidelines with the rest of my team, waiting for the captains to come back from the coin toss and the game to start. All around me came the raucous shouting and cheers of my fellow players but I stayed silent, my mouth dry with nerves. The opposing team won the toss, which meant the return team went out first, followed by the offence.

David and Goliath, I thought to myself. If he can face giants, I can too. And they did seem like giants, the other team. I watched as they blocked and tackled, moving up the field with a ferocity matched only by that of my teammates. The field was a war zone and I loved it as much as it terrified me. When I finally stepped on, I repeated my mantra to myself as I took my position and awaited the snap.

David and Goliath. David and Goliath.

After the game, I walked across the field, lugging my heavy gear bag, and searched the stands for my mom. Although I hadn’t gotten as much playing time as most of the guys and was one of the smallest and least experienced players on the team, I loved football. Not only was it super fun and it pushed me past my limits, but it also gave me the opportunity to rely on God. I felt closest to him when I took that step forward and walked in trust, knowing he could get me through any hardship. Just like David when he picked up his slingshot to slay the giant, I had to put all my trust in God before putting on a helmet and shoulder pads and stepping onto the field.

I thought about all this on the ride home and that night as I lay in bed. I knew that in the morning I would have to get up and go to school and face whatever challenges the new week presented me. But as I imagined the feeling of running towards the end zone, dodging and hurdling the giants of the other team, I knew that with God by my side, I could face anything. I fell asleep with a smile on my face and the Lord’s words in my heart: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I am one of many people who are facing their fears. Maybe your giant is fear, maybe it’s uncertainty, maybe it’s feeling overwhelmed. Whatever it is that is holding you back, God sees it and he wants to help you conquer it. If God can give a young shepherd boy the ability to slay a fully grown giant with a rock and a slingshot, he can provide for you as well.

Fear has no place among Christians. Moses picked up a staff and led the people out of Egypt; Peter stepped out onto the water when Jesus called him; Corrie ten Boom held Bible services for fellow prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp; Kurt Warner, the underdog quarterback, led his football team to a Super Bowl victory. These men and women probably felt fear at some point in their journeys, but they did not let it stop them from doing what God called them to do.

The same can be true for you today. Let go of your fear, your worries, your insecurities, and say yes to what God is calling you to. It may not be easy, but God promises to see you through. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).