Faith in the Dark: Facing Fears
A Drawn in the Dark Companion
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
“So 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.”
Carter opens the mental box of his nightmares this week, and something unexpected happens. When he braces for an attack, the creatures freeze instead. Once he realizes they aren’t going to touch him, he reaches for his pencil — but fear presses hard on his chest.
Should he really draw them?
Does putting them on paper give them new life?
We all have our own “boxes.”
We hide fears to avoid thinking about them — but hiding doesn’t remove their weight. In Chapter 3, Carter’s fears take the form of monsters. Ours might feel very different:
worry about disappointing people
past trauma
fear of failure
uncertainty about the future
and so much more
Stuffing those insecurities into a box is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. They stay there, quietly pressing, until we’re brave enough to unpack them.
For Carter, drawing the nightmares takes their power away. Seeing them on paper makes them feel less real than the versions in his mind. For you, your outlet may be writing. Or talking to someone you trust. Or praying through it.
When I surrendered my own fears to God, it took prayer, Scripture, and saying it out loud:
“God, I give You my anxiety to do with as You please.”
God doesn’t want us living in fear.
He didn’t give us a spirit of fear — but He also didn’t pretend fear wouldn’t exist.
Instead, He steps into it with us.
He lifts what we can’t carry and whispers, “I’ve got you.”
And He steadies us when everything in us wants to run.
You don’t have to face your fears alone.
God will step into the dark with you every single time.
2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
️🕯️Think About It
What’s one fear you’ve kept tucked away in your own “box”?
Why do you think it feels safer to hide it instead of facing it?
When you think about your biggest fear, what would it look like if God stood beside you while you faced it?
🌙 Week 3 Challenge- Safety
Think of a place where you feel completely calm and protected — a cozy corner, a bright field, a quiet room, a fort made of blankets, or even a spot outside where you’ve felt close to Him.
Now draw yourself there with God nearby — maybe sitting beside you, maybe standing behind you, or maybe His presence is shown as warm light filling the space.
You don’t have to make it perfect.
Just make it peaceful.
When you’re done, write a simple sentence underneath:
“God is with me.”