Today we launch the section of this blog titled “Treasures in Your Stories”; a platform to share the courageous stories of women and how God has walked with them in their hard.” It is not lost on me that the first woman to share here is a dear friend who was the initial audible voice God used to encourage me to start writing, and has since had my back in all ways. Awesome that God would use her to open this section. Robin has been walking through a hard for years. Grab a cup of tea and be blessed and encouraged as she shares a recent story of many, declaring God’s goodness in her hard.

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The last couple of days, triggered by an email concerning a difficult situation I am walking through, I found myself in a funk, overwhelmed with the feeling that all through life I’ve “almost had it”. I almost had all the things our hearts yearn for, and then it’s taken from me. Which spiraled into, “Why is God mad at me? Why doesn’t God want me to have this?” Which I knew was self-defeating talk. But I couldn’t break through.

 As I woke up this morning, my anxiety and fear, physically manifested by a feeling of tightness, heart palpitations, and a choking nausea, were still strong and hanging over me. 

I sat down to my morning devotions and, as I’ve often discovered, everything written and spoken seemed just for me. Exactly what was on my heart this morning was addressed. Every word and scripture hit my issues of anxiety and fear. Down to the detail that one writer included these words, “He’s not mad at you. God will never be mad at you.”

A couple of the scriptures speaking comfort were:

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all theses things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:35, 37

I’m reading all this, trying to absorb and take the words deep into my heart. To not just believe, but apply the message. Get these truths where they need to be to help me. 

As I started into my prayer time, I began confessing my worry and claiming, “I do trust You God, yet I continue to wrestle with anxiety. Feeling so fearful of the future.” 

After a time of conversation, laying all this before Him, I acknowledged, “This is not about my will and my plan for my life, but Your will and Your plan for my life. And I believe that whatever Your plan is for me, I know You will walk beside me and You will see me through.”

As soon as I spoke those words, a floodgate of relief poured over me. Literally, a physical release of that tightness. A ceasing of heart palpitations. A wave of calmness came through my body, even through my hands to the tips of my fingers. It was an immediate and amazing moment.

God is here with me. No matter what happens, He is going to see me through. Even if my worst imaginations come true. If that’s in God’s plan for me, then He will see me through it. God knows. God’s got me and my circumstances covered. That amazing realization released my anxiety. God will deal with all my what-ifs.

And when the Enemy throws these fears back at me, I will have this moment to remember and hold on to. In the meantime, as I walk through this hard, my desire is to find joy in my life every day.’’

 

Photo by Javardh on Unsplash