At the request of Pastor Matt, I am sharing an example of God's grace as revealed through a time of anxiety:

As some in the church already know, I spent the majority of my life feeling worthless. The lies of the world, the lies of Satan, and my own refusal to completely give my life to Christ combined into one big mess! I was convinced that the only way anyone would see me as having even the smallest amount of value, was if I was perfect.

One of the many side-effects of my false conviction, was a constant need to "be on the go." If I wasn't doing something -- and doing it right! -- I wasn't proving myself. Thankfully, I was freed from this lie a few years ago when I finally decided to live in the truth of God's Word and to accept His love. But the old saying is true: Old habits die hard. Although I finally recognized that my true value lies in the eyes of the One who made me and died on the cross to have a relationship with me, I still found myself with a fairly constant drive to "go, go, go - do, do, do." Then, suddenly, I could no longer "do."

During the Fall of 2013 I wrenched my back to the extent that I found it painful to walk, to sit in certain positions, or to stand for more than a few minutes at a time. I grew anxious very quickly: How was I going to do everything I "needed to do?! Was I always going to be in pain?! Would I end up needing surgery?! In my anxiety I prayed to God for guidance, and He gave me comfort in knowing that He had allowed my back injury for a reason. Eventually I came to realize what that use was: God was drawing me near -- allowing me to see that I needed to rest in Him and to spend time with Him instead of constantly filling that time with "doing." What a blessing! The Creator of the universe loves me that much -- so much that, even if it meant physical pain, He would not allow me to continue distancing myself from Him.

This understanding -- and the thankfulness that it brings -- comes into my heart each and every day as I battle chronic sciatica (a result of the initial back injury). To quote a popular saying that was brought up in my Sabbath School class a few weeks back: God is good - all the time. All the time, God is good.