By Jessica Brodie

I’ve probably written before about my bubble. It’s the term my family came up with for me when I was a kid because I always seemed to walk around impervious to the chaos around me. I could easily tune out the drama and discord of life by putting my nose in a book or slipping into my own little imaginary world for a respite.

My protective bubble kept me safe from evil, from fear, from conflict. Looking back, I suspect my early bubble was the light of Christ surrounding me and helping to keep the bad stuff away.

But as I got older, that bubble evolved into a new animal. I began to use it to protect myself not just against the bad things, but against life in general. As a shy kid who moved around and changed schools a lot, I learned to use my bubble as a barrier between me and other people, never letting most people get close to the real me. I felt vulnerable and didn’t trust many people, so to keep myself emotionally, physically, and even spiritually “safe,” my bubble became the buffer between me and the world. I kept that protective barrier up a long, long time, longer than I should have, and life became a very lonely place.

Then one day, empowered by the liberation I felt as a follower of Christ, I opened my eyes and realized maybe my bubble wasn’t something I needed anymore.

I took little chances and started to become more vulnerable emotionally. I decided to risk trusting a handful of people. I learned what it meant to make a true, authentic, deep friendship instead of keeping my friends at arm’s length.

I also decided to start revealing more of my genuine self in my writing, admitting the places where I struggled, the mistakes I had made. Responses to my writing helped me see I was reaching others, making a true connection through the power of the Holy Spirit at work.

That liberation I felt soon blossomed and soared, empowering me even more as a child of God. I realized that while my bubble had served me well when I was a child, protecting me when I needed it the most, I had grown beyond the bubble. It was time to step out fully in the Lord.

God needed me to walk unfettered in the world, shining his light boldly and with passion. And now I am strong enough, for as a woman who has dedicated her whole life and heart and soul to Jesus Christ, I am completely safe. Nothing in this world can harm me.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (ESV).

And he said in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”

I don’t need to fear. My soul is safe. As a believer who has chosen to belong to the Lord, I am forever protected in him. And like the psalmist, I can proclaim, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

Maybe you have a bubble of your own: a habit of holding people at a distance, of keeping the real you tucked safely out of sight. I understand. Mine kept me company for a long time. But I’ve learned that the safest place isn’t inside a bubble. It’s in the hands of the One who holds our souls. So go ahead and step out. Let someone in. Take a risk on a new ministry, or follow that Holy Spirit nudge without worrying too much about where it will take you.

You are more protected than you know.

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