Living a life of faith is not easy! But it is better than the alternative… I know that! It is also a great training-ground for Lessons in Grace!
In my journey dealing with anxiety… there are times I feel like I am just lying on the sandy shore waiting for the tide to come in and sweep me away!
The water flows over me as I gasp for breath!
Have you ever been there too? Searching for that greatly anxious breath… just waiting and knowing it could be your last until the worse overtakes you? (That may not be reality, but it can sure feel like it!)
Running a bed and breakfast is a wonderful experience for Luke and me! It fits our personalities and gifts the Lord has given us. We get to meet people from all over the world. Many times we have a time of ministry right at the breakfast table… incredible opportunities! In the busy summertime it is very hectic, but still fun and exhilarating… most of the time!
But as the slower seasons approach I can feel the heaviness in my mind… the anxiety sneaking in to get a grip on my soul. I hate that! I hate that no matter how much I pray or soak in God’s Word… I still have this miserable flaw in me! (lesson in grace)
Can I just be real with you??? Luke and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt we are exactly where we are supposed to be! With that being said… the business we do in the summer is not enough to sustain the Inn through the rest of the year! There has to be a way of bringing in more business throughout the year. But how?
I don’t have the answer to that question, but I do know THE Answer! And all I am sharing with you today… is definitely Lessons in Grace for me!
I am taken to Isaiah 43:1-5. Maybe this will help you too when the world seems to be rushing in on you and you feel like you can barely gasp for breath.
1 But now says the Lord, He who created you… He who formed you… “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…
4 Because you are precious in My eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you…"
Once again I am reminded that God has my back… He has my front… He is within and without… I am covered! There is no other thing in this world that can bring such peace to my flawed flesh!
So here are some questions I’m asking myself…
… Why do I think about the things that cause me anxiety and not think about God?
… Do I let anxious thoughts keep me from enjoying my family and friends and make me not too much of a joy to be around?
… What is the reason I carry these anxious thoughts with me all day long?
… Is anxiety robbing me of life?
I recently came across a teaching by Pastor Jimmy Evans called, “I Changed My Mind About Worry and Anxiety.” It is really good… give it a listen.
Here are some thoughts that came to me from this teaching:
~ focus on God
~ consider worry and anxiety the enemies of life, sent to rob you of your joy. Do not let them intimidate you!
~ turn every anxious thought into a prayer until you have victory! Write on paper each anxious thought… your worry list should be your prayer list!
~ attack the enemies, anxiety and worry, at the beginning of the day! (financial enemy, health enemy, relationship enemy, work enemy, etc.)
~ remember worry and anxiety are not normal, they are common but not normal… Jesus is normal. Anxiety exists because I allow it to exist in my life!
~ God would never ask us to do something we do not have the ability to do!
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7
~ give thanks in advance for what you know God is going to do for you!
~ you are not an orphan! You have the best Daddy in the universe! He will always take care of His children.
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life... For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Matthew 6:25a and 32b
~ stop obsessing over lingering, anxious thoughts… it wastes the time you could be spending to build a stronger relationship with God! Let Him handle the problems!
~ worry will never produce money, good health or any good thing!
~ pray until… until you have peace!!!
A few years ago, I had the chance to spend a whole day out in the woods with God… just me, God, and the squirrels! I can remember a moment or two of overwhelming anxiety… during one of those anxious moments Holy Spirit spoke to my heart to just close my eyes and breathe in deeply and then slowly let that breath out. I know it might sound crazy, but at that very minute I had complete peace flood my soul!
To this day, when I take the time to close my eyes and slowly inhale… thinking only of the things of God… it still brings peace! Breathing in the Holy Spirit… breathing out all anxious thoughts! Try it!
I don’t know what tomorrow will bring… none of us do, but I do know that no matter what the Lord is with me!
His Promises still ring true! I am called a child of God! I was created to bring Him glory! He will be with me no matter where He leads!
…everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made. ~ Isaiah 43:7
In His Grace, Carin