If asked what my list of fears included, a fear of heights wouldn’t be one of them. However, that notion got challenged today when visiting the Fort Gratiot (pronounced “GRASH-it”) Light Station today in Port Huron, Michigan.

We took the tour, and that included being able to climb the lighthouse tower. It has 94 steps and is, by far, the tallest tower we have climbed on this trip.

The view from the top was spectacular. You could see clearly over to the edge of Canada. Looking down, was the beach and the tops of outbuildings, like the keepers homes, the fog horn, and original fort hospital.

When at the top, holding on to the railing at the edge of the two foot ledge, I suddenly became very aware of the elevation. It didn’t help that my kids, completely unfazed by the height, began to step up on the railing.

My heart and stomach sunk. My anxiety spiked. My Papa Bear instincts kicked in, and children were pulled back in toward the wall.

Back at the bottom, I felt silly for being afraid. Like I said, a fear of heights I do not have. I do fine on ladders, bridges, and buildings. But this one was different. This experience inspired me to look up light and fear in the Bible.

This is what I found: Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?”

During our family devotional time at this lighthouse, I shared with my family that I was scared of how high it was at the top of the light tower. I read the verse above, and we had a little chat about how life can be scary at times.

Because life truly can be scary. Everyday we face the unknown. Everyday we encounter the brokenness of this world. Yet, we have One we can trust, especially during times of fear. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom [or what] shall I fear?”

The Lord–our savior Jesus–is on our side. As my middle son reminded me, “Jesus is with us.” And because of that, we have no reason to fear.