A brave three-year-old boy faced his biggest fear to save his great-grandmother’s life when she fell and couldn’t get help.
We all have some kind of fear in our lives. Some are scared of spiders or snakes. Others are afraid of walking alone at night. Maybe you’re afraid of speaking in front of people.
But God walks with us through every scary moment and gives us strength to face whatever frightens us.
That’s exactly what happened when little Bridger had to choose between fear and helping someone he loved.
A Normal Evening Turns Into an Emergency
Bridger Peabody was staying with his great-grandmother Sharon Lewis on a February night in Strasburg, Colorado. His parents were at the hospital with his older sister, who had hurt her finger.
The 78-year-old woman, whom Bridger calls “GiGi,” was walking with him to her back door when disaster struck.
Lewis tripped and hit her head hard on a concrete step. She couldn’t get up. Blood covered her head and soaked her clothes. She had no way to call for help as her phone was in the car.
“She had her walker and then she fell,” Bridger remembered. “She bonked her head and it popped open.”
When Help Doesn’t Come
They tried yelling for neighbors to help them. After five minutes of shouting, nobody came.
Lewis knew she had to ask her great-grandson to do something that scared him more than anything.
The path to her car was completely dark. Bridger had never opened a car door by himself. But Lewis needed that phone to call for help.
“I said, ‘You know what? You’re going to have to go out to the car and get my phone,'” Lewis told him.
“It’s too dark, GiGi,” Bridger said.
Faith Over Fear
Lewis knew Bridger was terrified, but she gave him courage with faith. “I know, but you’re going to have to be brave. Jesus will help you.”
What happened next amazed everyone who saw the security footage later. Little Bridger walked toward the dark car. As he went, he whispered three words to himself: “Don’t be afraid.”
Those three words changed everything. Bridger opened the car door and grabbed the phone. “Yay! I did it!” he shouted. Then he called back to his great-grandmother: “I got it, GiGi!”
Help Finally Arrives
Lewis called for help right away. An ambulance took her to the hospital, where doctors found she had a serious brain injury.
She needed 22 staples in her head. Today, she has healed completely.
Bridger’s mother Stephanie didn’t know what happened until she got an alert on her phone. She saw ambulances in their driveway and panicked. When she learned the whole story, she felt overwhelmed and started crying.
A True Hero in the Making
The family is proud of Bridger’s bravery. “Matt and I can’t be more proud of him and how brave he was in that moment because he is scared of the dark,” Stephanie says. “GiGi calls him her hero. She doesn’t know what she would have done if he wasn’t there.”
Lewis agrees completely. “He’s just a blessing. I call him a hero. He goes, ‘No. I’m Bridger.’ He’s not quite sure what a hero is, I think, but he definitely is.”
How One Night Changed Everything
This story changed the whole family. Stephanie got so inspired by her son’s courage that she decided to follow her dream of becoming a special education teacher.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but now it’s like taking the chance to do it: ‘Don’t be afraid,'” she said.
The family also installed lights in the backyard so nobody has to walk in darkness again.
Remember Who Lives in You
The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. That same power that brought Jesus back to life is inside you right now.
When fear tries to stop you next time, remember who you are and who is walking right beside you.
Just like little Bridger whispered “don’t be afraid” and found the courage to help his GiGi, you can face whatever scares you because God’s Spirit gives you strength.
WATCH: Little Hero Overcomes Fear to Save Great-Grandma’s Life
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