Tag: Anxiety

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Darkness to Light

Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.

I promise this devotion is filled with hope and light, but to get there you must travel through my darkness.  Many years ago I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder which brings with it much panic, anxiety, depression, and mania.  As a matter of fact, in more recent years I was told I was diagnosed incorrectly and it is more likely PTSD.

Which ever label you want to give it, there are moments where the darkness attempts to engulf me.  If you suffer from any of these, I urge to reach out to someone.  Do not let go!  It is not the end!  You are not alone!

We are many and God knows each one of us by name.  He has not forgotten or forsaken us.  He is there in the midst of every second of our fight.  He is battling in places we can’t even see and doing things we can’t even imagine.

When the darkness comes and threatens to extinguish all the light around me, I often turn to writing poetry to describe what I am feeling.  The feelings seem so real at the time; I draw pictures in my mind.  The following is an example of my darkness.

The End?

I am spiraling down the hole.
I grasp and grab but nothing is there.
Air slides through my fingers
All is dark, no light at all
When will this end?

I am afraid of hitting bottom
But anything is better than this
The deep depression of unknown
The anxiety, the panic
Will this never end?

What will I find at the bottom?
What is waiting for me there?
Will I die if I reach it?
Will there be an escape?
Do I want to see the end?

I feel so alone
I feel like an idiot
I am out of control
I should have control
Please let this end!

I see how you look at me
I see the anger and disappointment
You think I am making this up
Just looking for attention
This is not what I want in the end

My heart is heavy
My head hangs low
I want to give up
I want to stop trying
I want this to be the end

So, why do I fight?
Why do I care?
Wouldn’t it be just easier to say I am done
It is finished
Now leave me to the end

Yet, I cannot
I am not finished
There is so much more to do
I must continue
I must fight until the end

How do I know God is there?  I know because in that dark cavern when I am ready to just lay down and not get up again there is a small quiet voice.  It just repeats, “I AM here, now fight!”  It starts as the dimmest of light. I can barely see if flickering far off, but it grows each time I focus and listen. It grows louder, brighter, stronger. Its name is Hope and it is hand delivered by I AM.

Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.


Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

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Deeply Distressed and Troubled

Mark 14:12 (NIV)

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you.  Take this cup from me.  Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Do you hear that?  Yep, it is my knees knocking AGAIN!  I have been in the education field for going on 18 years.  However, when I have to stand up in front of a group of people I still get the proverbial butterflies (seems more like bats) in my tummy.  My hands get all sweaty, my stomach turns, my heart races and then there is the shaking all over.

Have you ever been there?  Do you ever get a case of the nerves?  Maybe it isn’t public speaking that makes you want to run.  Maybe there is something else that can rock your world in a matter of 2.2 seconds.  Whatever it is, I want you to know…it is normal!  You are not going to die of a heart attack, you probably won’t even throw up or faint or anything. Hmmm, maybe I shouldn’t promise the last two, although I did say probably;0)

Can I tell you a little secret?  Did you know that Jesus got a case of the nerves? No, really!  It says right in Mark 14:33-34.

He (Jesus) took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch (NIV).

If that doesn’t sound like a case of the nerves, I don’t know what does. Jesus knew his time was coming to an end.  He knew what he was going to face next.

Now, I realize what he was about to face: his betrayal, arrest, conviction, punishment, and death would certainly make anyone deeply distressed and troubled.  What I want you to realize is he didn’t stay that way.  He knew exactly where to turn.

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” Mark 14:12 (NIV).

When Jesus was deeply distressed and troubled he turned to the one person that he knew would pull him through, his Father, God!

I want to challenge you today.  No matter what impossible nerve racking, knee knocking deeply distressed and troubled problem you are facing, turn to the one who will walk you through it.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalms 55:22 (NIV)


Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

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Action Verbs for Anxiety

Psalms 27:14 (NASB)

Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

Have you ever been fidgety? You know when you are worried about something and you mumble (or scream) those famous words, “Well, I can’t just sit here and do nothing!” When that phrase reaches your mind and you know there is nothing you can do, take heart. You can take action. You should take action. You should:

Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

Wait-Be-Let-Take-Wait
These are action verbs. These are the actions you need to do when you are feeling anxious. This is what you have control over. This is doing your part.

I know it isn’t easy and I wish I could say, I am perfect and this works for me every time so you can do it too! But, I’m not an infomercial and this isn’t easy. Although if you do it, God promises it will work every time. You may not like the length of time it takes. Heck you may not even like the answer you get. However,God will reward you with what you need an He always sends His best for you.

So the next time you can’t stand it any longer. Please remember to take action.

Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.