When you Face the Unknown

From the time we first begin to explore the world into which we are born, one of the toughest lessons to learn is how to deal with the unknown. Those unpredictable, uncertain, cannot guarantee, just not sure, it could be disastrous realities that just may happen tomorrow. 

The primary reason it is so hard to deal with the unknown is that we only have a small piece of what we can ever be sure of regarding tomorrow.  It wears away at us because we cannot be absolutely certain that it will be anything that we imagine it may be. Lurking away on the periphery of your thoughts, it can work away at your peace of mind today, like a nagging toothache. 

Why it is hard to deal with the Unknown

All of life is in a continuous merge of changing circumstances. We are created to be planners, goal setters and are purpose driven by nature. Every time an event happens that can touch your life, all of the variables change with it: the how, why, who, when and where, change with it…second by second by second by second. No wonder it is so difficult dealing with the Unknown.

Facing the Challenge of the Unknown

There are certain personalities that have a harder time with the unknown. 

The more perfectionist, detailed and structured the person, the more stressful the unknown becomes. However, in The Quiet Place as we worship God, we are transformed by His presence, and soothed by His peace. When everything else seems to be falling apart, and we have no control over the details of the Unknown, we can stop striving, and begin to rest in His protective care over ourselves and our loved ones.

Yield Control of the Unknown to God

Our earlier life experiences can make it harder to deal with the unknown. The more a child lives with traumatic events, where they had no control over the tough times they experienced, the more the unknown becomes an issue. The bottom line is that we all struggle with the unknown.  The older we become, the more we realize how little control we have over anything.

^“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. “ Matthew 6:25- 34

Yield Depression and Anxiety to God

When a person struggles with depression and anxiety issues, it is harder to deal with the unknown.  The brain’s Limbic System controls our emotional responses to everything that we experience. One’s perception of the future becomes their reality. Hormonal secretions race through the body and impact mood, and motivation. What is real is what they feel, and many times it is laced with dread.

Yield your Finances and Needs to God

Today most people are living with limited financial resources. Getting downsized at work, being laid off, terminated or being unable to work due to health issues all impact how we look at the unknown. Having a greater responsibility for others to care for also makes it harder to deal with the unknown. 

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7

God has a Purpose in the Unknown

Recognize that God allows hard times to teach us to humble ourselves before Him and acknowledge Him always and in all things as Lord. Like the seasons of nature, God weaves His Sovereign plan from the budding of blessings in the spring, to the storms that hit our lives in the winter of the soul.

^“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

God has a Plan in the Unknown

Remember that God wants us to maintain a Biblical view of life, and the foundation is to be built upon seeking wisdom from the Scriptures.


Maintain a Biblical Strategy to Face the Unknown 

^“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”  James 1:5

Maintain a Biblical Strategy in your Thought Patterns 
 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

 Maintain a Biblical Strategy in your Daily Planning

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.^” Proverbs 3:5-6

God Gives Peace to Face the Unknown

Rest in God’s peace and trust Him to  use the unknown future in your life as a means to be glorified through you however it turns out.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.”  Jeremiah 17:7


^“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6

A Prayer for this moment

"Lord of all things and Creator of Heaven and earth, I thank you that you invite me to call you my Heavenly Father. You have led me to yourself through your Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, and have redeemed me through His precious Blood. The horizon of my tomorrows is unknown to me. In your infinite all knowing wisdom you have chosen to not give me access to what is ahead, for it may be too much for me to handle today. I kneel before you and release the anxiety and burden of the Unknown to your Sovereign Will."

The Lord Jesus taught us to pray...

"Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come, your Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we also have forgiven those who have sinned against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever.”   (From Matthew 6:9-13)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the Heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3

Take a few moments and listen to this encouraging music video by Mercy Me entitled "Word of God Speak."

Trusting God when He is Silent

The Silence of God has always been perplexing, and very difficult for any of us to understand. We long for a whisper of God's wisdom, to gain some insight into His purpose in allowing pain and suffering to cast a gray shadow upon our daily lives. There is no sound that burdens the sufferer more than the Silence of God.

The psalmist found himself near complete collapse as he faced a series of setbacks, enemies that sought to harm him and the cruel ridicule of others. Nothing seemed to help and God seemed to be absent and silent. Feel the painful desperation in his voice as he writes...

“Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold; I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched…My eyes fail, looking for my God.” Psalm 69:1-3

The Silence of God Tests our Faith

There is a time in the midst of severe testing, when human endurance, one's ability to cope, unending physical pain, the weariness of depression, and the overwhelming fatigue that goes along with suffering, take a dreadful toll upon one's life.

While suffering is an inevitable dimension of life, it seems foreign and unnatural....out of place when linked to a loving God, full of mercy and compassion. In reality, it is not possible to develop Christ like character and spiritual depth apart from experiencing seasons of personal suffering.

God Works throughout our Lives Silently

Each stage of our lives is woven as an immense personal tapestry, with a myriads of threads reflecting our own individual pilgrimage upon the pathways that we have taken. One cannot truly see or understand the true story behind the tapestry until it is turned over, and then the kaleidoscope of threads reveals a progressive work of infinite beauty.

Over our lifetime, God's skilled hands weave the tapestry, knowing what it will one day become. Others, even ourselves, cannot  make any real sense of the myriad of threads, especially when suffering and heartache, edge the rough borders of the pattern.

Only God is able to select each thread that is needed at a specific time in our pilgrimage here, and weave it into our lives, be it the first experience of feeling loved, difficult challenges in high school, depression, sorrow, the birth of a child, loss, success, failure, anxiety, illness and ultimately death.

“Part of every misery is, so to speak, the misery's shadow or reflection: the fact that you don't merely suffer but have to keep on thinking about the fact that you suffer. I not only live each endless day in grief, but live each day thinking about living each day in grief.” C.S.Lewis 

God's Silence does not mean He is not Present

All along the pathway through an infinite, all knowing, all powerful and ever present God, has been at work in our circumstances with the primary purpose to lead us to His heart, and so that we can become a display of His Glory and Majesty to a fallen world. 

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10a

When God is Silent in The Quiet Place

There are numerous examples in Scripture where God made His will known during difficult times of testing. His purpose was often made known in where He could reveal His will to each servant individually. We are eager for quick answers and He is desirous that we trust His Word, and learn to walk by faith and not by sight. Some of God's answers can only be heard in our own personal Gethsemane.

On some of those occasions, the individual being tested, was expecting God to disclose His purposes differently. Abraham, Moses, Joseph, David, Jeremiah and many other Bible characters struggled with this very issue. There is a principle that is universal to life: 

The natural man must see in order to believe, but the spiritual man must believe in order to see. 

During a time of great struggle, the psalmist could reach through the agony of his torment, cling to God in faith, and eventually trust in the reliability of God's faithfulness and the complete reliability of His Word.

“My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." Psalm 42:10-11

God Speaks to us in the Midst of Suffering

God may seem to be silent, but He is speaking through His Word. The experience of suffering does not produce spiritual depth in our lives in and of itself. It is how we react to suffering that determines one’s spiritual growth through sorrow and pain. 

The discipline of suffering has a primary purpose to accomplish within each of us: God wants above all else for us to be His. 
We discover that when we are thrust into trials that are filled with sorrow and hopelessness, that He alone understands. He draws near to nurture and comfort us, and He is desirous to heal our broken heart more than our physical pain.

“This is the purpose of pain for the redeemed: it is one of your Father's ways of speaking to you; it is the evidence of His limitless love, by which He would draw you farther from evil and closer to Him, the divine remedy which can cure you of pride and help you lean more trustingly on the Lord.”  Walter A. Maier

 

When God is Silent - Listen with your Heart 

In the midst of suffering, we discover a rare and blessed intimacy with God that is comforting, and slowly the emotional or physical pain gives way to a sweet song of worship and praise. God’s grace is most present in the lives of the weak, the humble, the downtrodden, the weary and the those who are broken. God may seem to be silent, but He speaks through His promises that are scattered like diamonds throughout the Scriptures.

“Come near to God and he will come near to you…” James 4:8

When we reflect back in the past, upon the many times where God provided grace and strength to us, we are reminded that He has always been faithful. He is the God of all comfort, who comforts us in the midst of sorrow with a nurturance and care that only He can provide (See II Cor. 1:2-4).

We remember that He came near to hear our cry, and he reached forth and healed our wounds, but did not remove the scars. Our scars have the capacity to remind us that the past was real, and rather than reminders of our suffering, they become memorials to the grace and glory of God.

Ideally, when a child is hurting and afraid, he runs to his father, and the immediate response of the father is to open his arms and embrace him. So it is with our Heavenly Father. His desire is to bring comfort to us and sooth our tears with His love. In His arms, the silence gives way to the sound of His heart beating against ours, and we become one with Him in the fellowship of His sufferings (See Phil. 3:10).

“The suffering of sickness and the suffering of persecution have this in common: they are both intended by Satan for the destruction of our faith, and governed by God for the purifying of our faith... Christ sovereignly accomplishes His loving, purifying purpose, by overruling Satan's destructive attempts. Satan is always aiming to destroy our faith; but Christ magnifies His power in weakness.” John Piper

God Allows Suffering to call us to Stillness

The Quiet Place is often bathed in the tears of God's people, for it is the very dew that covers the pathway to the heart of God, and it is precious to Him. God sometimes silently and purposefully shuts the door to a relief from our sorrow and suffering. We hear the click of the door to our freedom from pain, and he closes us in where only He is present. He may seem far away, but He is always there beside you, as He has promised in His Word that He would be.

(See Deuteronomy 4:31; 31:6, 8; Psalm 27:10; 37:28; 94:14; John 14:18; Matthew 28:20)

He does this so that He may speak in the midst of our grief and pain, and softly whisper precious promises to us again; the promise of His abiding presence.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

That is His most cherished gift to us in the midst of the storm. He commands the storm to be still not to prevent our boat from sinking, but to enlighten us who need to see in order to believe, that He has been there with us in the midst of the storm all the time that we huddled in the bottom of the boat.

God's Silence and Unanswered Prayer

One of the realities of unanswered prayer, in the midst of difficult trials and suffering, is to learn to be obedient, regardless of any change in our circumstances. The book of Hebrews reveals to us that Christ Himself learned obedience to His Father through the crucible of suffering.

“During the days of Jesus' life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.”  Hebrews 5:7-9

God is not Silent - He is Speaking in the Quiet Place

It is very tempting for a Christian to become bitter in the midst of suffering by hardening his heart toward God for allowing his suffering, and for not delivering him from it. Disappointment with God can create a seed of resentment toward Him, and unless it is laid before the Throne of Grace, it turns into a root of bitterness. We are urged to cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us (I Peter 5:7), and to kneel before the Throne of Grace in the hour of our greatest need. 

God is not Silent - He is Listening to your Heart

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  Hebrews 4:15-16

 When Christ Himself suffered the indignities and shame of the cross, while enduring unimaginable torture and pain, He remained obedient to the will and purpose of His Father. He knows what it is like to experience physical, emotional and mental pain and sorrow. Drawing near to Him in the midst of suffering helps us to bear up during our hardship and remain free from bitterness.

God is not Silent - He Understands what it is like to be Tested

“Because He himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.”  Hebrews 2:18 

What are we most tempted to do when we are experiencing insufferable pain and unrelenting disappointment? Our greatest temptation is to blame God, and become bitter toward Him as we wonder, “Where is God when it hurts?” We can struggle with His seeming absence, and conclude that He just doesn’t really care.

“I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be necessary causes of some great end, which is quite beyond us. He does nothing in vain.” John Henry Newman

God is not Silent - He is wants us to give Him the Unbearable Burden 

The only shoulders strong enough to carry our burdensome pain, once carried an old rugged cross to become our substitute for sin...He suffered and died for every one of us. He alone can bear the Unbearable Burden for He already has.

^"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”  I Peter 1:18-20

God is never Silent… He speaks through the darkness of your lonely night. God is never Silent...He speaks to you though His Word. God is never Silent… He whispers your name to call you to Himself. God is never Silent...He is there beside you as you read these words…ready to comfort you. God is never Silent…He is waiting for each of us in The Quiet Place where comfort and trust in Him, will become more meaningful than understanding the reason why.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassion never fails. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him…” Lamentations 3:22-23

Finding Peace in a Troubled World

The quest for peace has always been one of mankind's primary motivations. The evidence of this is seen in how far people will go to experience it. It can come in a myriad of ways, but none of the discoveries of this rare treasure produce true peace so it does not last for very long. 

That is because you cannot manufacture it, legislate it, buy it or grow it. True inner peace is not the result of a new social consciousness. Peace is the result of something happening in our soul; it is an inner reality, not the result of our having obtained, achieved, or experienced something.

True peace comes from having our hearts touched by the Prince of Peace, The Lord Jesus Christ. All of life has but one central focus, embracing the one who loved us so much that He laid down His sinless life willingly, to pay the price for all of our sins. 

^“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

He alone puts the soul at rest, because we cannot find peace in this life without being rightly related to God, and Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, has made that a reality. He whose Name is above all names, whose power and glory spans time and space, is the one whose sacrifice is the only way to still the conscience of a heart bound by sin.


“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Finding Peace in a Troubled World

How do we stop the chaos of life to explore and experience such a life changing truth such as this? By making it a crucial priority right now. Another day is more of the same isn't it?

The Quiet Place

There are times in each of our lives when we absolutely must find a quiet place to refresh and renew our spirit.  Life is full of pathways that lead to hardship, suffering and loneliness. We can feel as if we are about to explode with stress and the strain of life. 

We long to find inner peace, but instead .... as an instant gratification bred generation, we remedy our lack of peace by fixing a cocktail, puffing on a pipe, we go shopping, watch TV, play video games, do Face Book, roll on to Twitter, or we try to maintain the separate identities and plot lines of 9 reality shows at once, or obsess about sports, or run, walk, eat, or drop into an escape world of numbed sleep. Whew...no wonder inner peace is so elusive.

The Road Less traveled is the one we never take

Sometimes we lose our way or stand at a crossroad unsure of which way to turn. Every day our minds are filled with distractions and pressures that trouble us. In reality they are just that...distractions. Deep inside we all know that what we long for the most is inner peace. Like a walk in the forest when the dew is fresh and we are alone and free to just enjoy God's creation...we long for God's peace.

The Quiet Place is a kind of spiritual counterpart to a walk in the forest. No matter where you are, or what you might be doing, my hope is that you can pause here and find encouragement, inspiration and hope.

The Quiet Place does have a foundational focus, and that is that Jesus Christ has provided for each of us a direct access to the presence of God. It is only through Him that we can truly know God and enjoy communion with Him. 

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6.

The burdens of life are many, and they impact each of us differently, but in reality they are similar. Wherever we may live on this planet, we share in common the reality that life is hard, struggles are painful, and we need an inner strength to rise from our beds each day and face the challenges before us.  

"Be Still and Know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

The Quiet Place has been created as an opportunity to pause in one's day... to seize a moment to stop the chaos and stress of  life, and reflect upon what is truly needed in each of our lives...a time to meet with God. We each long for God whether we realize it or not. That quiet desperation that resides within creates a restlessness that is never satisfied until we find our way to meet with God.

The disciples knew what it was like to be exhausted, hungry and overwhelmed with stress.

“The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a Quiet Place, and get some rest.”  So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” Mark 6:30-32

There are many examples in the Bible where God's gentlest whispers were only heard in quiet places.  Elijah along the brook Cherith, David in the cave at Adullam, Moses in the wilderness of Midian, and Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, all met with God when alone and in The Quiet Place.

The burdens of life weaken our bodies, torment our minds, and deadens our spirit.  We often rush to the urgent tasks of our day and miss the most important priority which is time of quiet worship with God. The blessing of a quiet time will be that we will find peace in The Quiet Place

The race of life, when run in our own strength,  leads each of us to a place of eventual exhaustion and a sense of being overwhelmed by life. 



May we each be refreshed daily by our Gentle Shepherd as we meet Him in The Quiet Place

Psalm 23

"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside Quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff,  they comfort me.You prepare a table before me  in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." 

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:11

Breaking free from Panic Attacks

The tremor had begun with a slight twitching of the face and hands, and then rippled through her body like electric shock waves.  She radiated sheer terror and, like a drowning person, could not stop gasping for breath.  Her eyes held the look of someone gazing into the face of their most dreaded fear.

Leaning forward in my chair I spoke quietly, reassuringly, “Mary, you’re having another panic attack.  We know part of what is causing it so let’s start by slowing things down a bit.  Shall we?  Lower your head and breathe slowly now.  We want to prevent you from hyper-ventilating.”

Slowly – ever so slowly – her pulse rate dropped and breathing returned to normal, even though her hands still shook.

Living with a Panic Disorder

My first encounter with panic attacks several years ago had created some confusion and anxiety on my part because I didn’t know how to treat this problem from a counseling perspective.  I did realize that most authorities feel the first attack is best understood as an Adrenalin rush that is in some cases not explainable, often beginning at an intense moment of anxiety.  When the panic hits, the victim is absolutely terrified.

Some of the Symptoms of a Panic Disorder 

• Sweating
• Chest tightness
• Shortness of breath
• Rapid heart rate
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Dizziness
• Hot flashes
• Severe discomfort
• Extreme fear
• Hyperventilation
• Tingling sensations
• Chills

Traumatic Life Experiences can be the Genesis of a Panic Disorder

It was evident that Mary had become agoraphobic (one who fears the marketplace or being in crowded open spaces).  Her initial attack was coming at a time when she was struggling with depression and a worsening marriage situation.  Fleeing for home after that first encounter, although she was fine after a few hours, she began to associate her feelings of frightening panic with the place she was when it first happened.  Later in the week she headed back to the same store only to find herself panicking as she approached the door.  Wrestling with her emotions she pressed on into the building but was suddenly gripped by a cocoon of fear that seemed about to suffocate her.

 The Emergence of a Habitual Cycle of Panic Attacks

“It was as if I couldn’t breathe or even think”, she recalled with emotion.  I had to get out of there as fast as I could!”

When she had regained her composure, I commented, “You see, Mary, as we were recounting that terrifying moment in the store, your mind triggered the memory of that event so clearly it was as if it were happening again.  Rather than avoiding that experience, we want to put it into perspective and clarify what really happened that day.”

Breaking the Hold of Panic Driven Fear

 

She continued to tremble as I went on.  “Part of the problem is physiological, and you are on a specialized medication to help correct the noradrenaline imbalance in your neurological system.  The second aspect of your problem is psychological and needs to be thought through very carefully.  You have actually fed your panic attack tendencies by avoidance patterns such as staying away from that store.  Now we need to slowly walk you through that door to help you regain the confidence that you have nothing to fear in that situation.”

Facing the Origin of our Fear creates Confidence and Empowerment 

At the suggestion of returning to the dreaded store her head dropped and she began shredding a piece of tissue in her hands. 

 

“Mary, I said slowly”, I reassured her.

Looking thoughtfully at her I recalled the fact that although she had come to Christ for salvation several years ago, there seemed no real evidence of His presence in her life.  Was it possible that Mary was not truly born again?  If not, she had never met the issue of Christ’s Lordship.

The Foundation of the Peace of God 

“The third aspect of your problem is spiritual”, I explained.  “You need the control and peace that only Jesus Christ can give you as you work through this and other problems in your life.  These panic attacks are but a symptom of the anxiety that is churning inside you.”

“But I have never been able to trust anyone that much!”  She looked up with eyes filled with tears and anguish, “I have to stay in control, If I’m not in control I get hurt!”

“And what has your control accomplished?” I countered.  “As you turn over the control of your life to Jesus Christ He will give you direction through His Word as to how to tackle the challenges you are facing.”  I paused and then said gently, “You cannot cast your cares upon Him totally unless you yield to Him completely.  You must let go.”

I picked up a Bible that was on a table nearby and opened it. "Mary, do you mind if I read something from the Word of God that speaks specifically to the very things that you are struggling with?" 

"I would like that, thank you." she said in a whisper.

""I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

I turned to her and smiled as I said, "Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, so it makes sense that if we want inner peace, real peace, it should come from the only one who can truly give deep, comforting peace...especially when you are dealing with panic attacks."

I handed her the bible and said, "Here Mary, this is for you, I already signed your name in it, so take it with you and read it with a heart that is open."

She thanked me and asked me to pray for her so I did. Mary stood there with her head bowed, and with hands that gripped her new Bible life it was a life preserver. 

Finding the Courage to Challenge your Fear 

It was a quiet Tuesday afternoon when I leaned against a stop sign waiting, my eyes focused on the doorway of a local store.  My apparent composure was no reflection of the tension within as I stood watching like a secret agent on a mission of grave importance.  Time had passed, as had more counseling sessions, before Mary had yielded the throne of her heart to the Lord Jesus Christ….

Suddenly the store doors opened and Mary stepped out into the sunlight.  Eyes bright with joy she raised her right arm, thumb pointed heavenward with an enthusiastic thrust of victory!

As she turned to run across the street, it seemed as if I was watching a very young child released from a year of school, eager and ready for a summer of adventure.

If you struggle with a panic disorder, consider checking this resource link for some helpful strategies in dealing with and overcoming Panic Attacks.

http://anxietypanicattacktreatment.org/