Splash Incoming!

Claire Black: Welcome to True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. I’m Claire Black. Together, we’ll explore God’s truth for us one drive at a time. Buckle up! You’re about to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus.

Song:

I am a true girl.
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
I am, I am, I am a true girl!

You know, I think one reason people love roller coasters is because they make you feel everything—excitement, fear, butterflies, and adrenaline.

One second you’re climbing slowly, and the next second your stomach is somewhere up by your eyeballs.

But honestly? Anxiety can feel a little like that too. Sometimes life feels shaky and uncertain.

Maybe you’re worried about school, friends, health, or you don’t even know what you’re worried about, but you are! When fear gets loud, it can feel like you’re sinking under the weight of it.

This season, Dannah Gresh and Suzy Weibel have been learning what God says about anxiety, but today they’re discovering something even more important. Peace doesn’t come from pretending storms aren’t real; peace comes from keeping our eyes on Jesus in the middle of the storm.

Get ready for the last episode of season 28, “Splash Incoming!” Here’s Suzy.

(Theme park with water splashing)

Suzy Weibel: Okay, this might actually be my favorite ride in the entire park.

Dannah Gresh: The Giant Water Log Flume?

Suzy: Yes! I love water rides!

Dannah: You love ANY ride that moves faster than a walking speed.

Suzy: That is true.

(Huge splash)

Suzy: See?! That looked amazing!

Dannah: See, this is where you and I are very different people.

Suzy: Because I see “giant splash” and think, YAY!

Dannah: And I see “giant splash” and think, Where are the towels?

Suzy: Honestly, that’s fair.

Dannah: I just like to know what I’m getting into.

Suzy: Which is why I’m honestly still shocked you agreed to ride this today.

Dannah: Okay first of all, I agreed to ride one ride.

Suzy: The log flume is one ride.

Dannah: That feels like a technicality.

Suzy: Too late. You already committed.

Dannah: I would like the record to show I agreed under pressure.

Suzy: See, that feeling right there is actually kind of interesting.

Dannah: What feeling?

Suzy: That moment where your brain starts imagining everything that could happen before the ride even starts.

Dannah: Oh wow, yes.

Suzy: Like, suddenly you’re thinking about:

“How steep is the drop?” (mm-mmm)

“How wet am I going to get?” (yes)

“What if this is terrifying?”

Dannah: And suddenly the “what ifs” feel huge.

Suzy: I think fear works like that a lot of the time. Especially when we don’t know what’s coming next. 

Dannah: Like, “What if I look like a drowned rat after we get off this ride?”

Suzy: Exactly! Your brain starts running wild with the imagining all of the “what ifs” that could happen.

Dannah: And suddenly they feel enormous!

Suzy: And honestly? That reminds me so much of Peter walking on water.

Dannah: Hard shift!

Suzy: Yes, definitely. We are talking about the Bible now.

Dannah: Yes! Let’s just pull it out and read it.

Suzy: Okay, I already have it pulled up in my Wonder app.

This is Matthew 14, we'll start in verse 25.

Jesus came toward them walking on the sea very early in the morning. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and they cried out in fear.

Immediately Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter answered him, “command me to come to you on the water.”

He said, “Come.”

And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” (vv. 25–30)

Dannah: THAT right there feels exactly like anxiety sometimes.

Suzy: Yes! Peter was doing okay while his eyes were on Jesus. But the moment he focused on the storm—what if!?—fear took over.

Dannah: The storm was already there. Peter just shifted his focus.

Suzy: Exactly. I think anxious thoughts do that to us too. They pull our focus onto:

• the fear
• the “what if”
• the worst-case scenario

Dannah: And the more we stare at it, the fear, the bigger it feels.

Suzy: But I LOVE what happens next. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’”

Dannah: I love that. Even when Peter let fear take over and he began to sink, Jesus still reached out to grab hold of him.

Suzy: So powerful! And honestly? I’ve experienced moments like that in my own life too.

Want to hear one from just last summer? Well, we had just welcomed a litter of puppies into the world. They were three days old and everything was perfect. It was a Saturday morning. Jonathan and I were in the basement watching those precious babies nurse on mama. 

They had all eaten a huge feast and were in what we call a milk coma. So we were relaxing and talking about our plans for the day, but all of a sudden I heard a horrible sound. 

A puppy—a precious three-day-old puppy—was throwing up her breakfast. I knew something was wrong right away, so I grabbed that little baby and rushed to the car. 

It takes about fifteen minutes to get to our emergency animal hospital and this poor baby was sick the whole way there. I was so crazy with fear that I actually went the wrong direction at one point. I know this sounds like a movie, but I promise this happened! When I realized I was going the wrong way, I did a U-turn in the grassy yard of our federal prison.

So, I rushed into the waiting room holding the puppy out and said, “She aspirated milk. She’s three days old.” And the people behind the desk jumped up and rushed her to the back room. What had happened was the milk somehow didn’t go into the puppy’s stomach, but it went into her lungs! 

A half hour later they handed her back to me with some antibiotics and basically said, “Have a great life!” 

I just talked to her owner yesterday. She’s doing great! 

Dannah: Wow. I think that’s why this story matters so much. Because Peter’s fear was real. Your fear that day was rea1.

Suzy: So real!

Dannah: But Jesus was still bigger in both of those storms.

Suzy: You know what I’ve begun to realize?

Dannah: What?

Suzy: Just like I went the wrong direction, anxiety usually tries to pull our attention in a hundred different directions.

Dannah: That is SO true.

Suzy: But when I refocus on God, the fear inside my head begins to still. It doesn’t mean that my circumstances are different, or that hard things don’t exist. But setting my gaze on God, I am focusing on the One who is bigger than any storm I could ever go through.

Dannah: That reminds me ofPhilippians 4:7. It says:

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Suzy: Notice how it doesn’t say, “You’ll always understand everything.”

Dannah: Right. Sometimes life still feels confusing and scary and overwhelming. But God’s peace guards our hearts and minds.

Suzy: Even then. So maybe this week, whenever fear starts taking over, stop and ask yourself, “What am I focusing on right now?” The storm? Or God?

Dannah:Amen.

(Seat belts clicking at the water ride)

Suzy: Okay, the time has come! I can’t wait!

Dannah: I regret everything!

Suzy: No you don’t.

Dannah: You’re right. I regret most things.

(Ride begins climb)

Suzy: I’m honestly proud of you.

Dannah: Thank you. I’m trying very hard to focus on courage and not the fact that we are currently ascending toward chaos.

Suzy: (laughing) See? Now, that’s what I call growth.

Dannah: If I survive this, I do expect commemorative merchandise.

Suzy: I’ll get you a t-shirt that says: “I trusted Jesus and rode the log flume.”

Dannah: Perfect!

(Ride clicking)

Suzy: Okay, wait, we’re getting close to the top.

Dannah: Why does it suddenly feel soo much taller up here?!

Suzy: Because now you can actually see the drop.

Dannah: Oh . . . no.

Suzy: Hey. Eyes on Jesus, remember?

Dannah: I’m trying, but currently my eyes are on my impending doom.

Suzy: Okay, here we go . . .

Dannah: SUZY!

Suzy: Three . . .

Dannah: WHY ARE YOU COUNTING?!

Suzy: Two . . .

Dannah: JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL!

Suzy: ONE!

(Huge splash, screaming)

Claire: Whew! I think Dannah may still be recovering from that log flume ride. (laughter)

Sometimes courage doesn’t mean you aren’t scared. Sometimes courage means trusting Jesus even while your stomach is doing flips.

True Girl, storms are going to happen. Hard days will come. Fear will show up. Anxious thoughts will try to pull your focus away from Jesus.

But remember this: you don’t have to sink. When Peter cried out to Jesus, Jesus immediately reached for him. And He will help you too.

So this week, whenever fear starts feeling bigger than your faith, pause and ask yourself, “Am I focusing more on the storm or on Jesus?”

One of the best ways to turn your focus from the storm to Jesus is by digging into God’s Word. That’s one reason we created the True Girl subscription box—to help girls spend regular time with Jesus in fun, meaningful, and hands-on ways.

And if you subscribe by July 31, your first box will be the Peace Box, based on Dannah Gresh’s book Lies Girls Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free. Go to MyTrueGirl.com to learn more.

And that Wonder app Dannah and Suzy have been using all season long? That’s our new video-based Bible reading app for teen girls. Maybe you have a teenage sister. Tell her about it!

Song:

Oh, oh, oh, oh.
I am a true girl.
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
I am, I am, I am a true girl!

The True Girl podcast is produced by Revive Our Hearts, calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

*Offers available only during the broadcast of the podcast season.