For me, as a Hurting Mom, anxiety was a physical churning deep in my stomach that was always there, no matter what I was doing. I went to bed with it and I woke up with it. I always had an impending feeling of doom and I lived in a perpetual state of worry about what may or may not happen with my child.

The Word of God teaches us that in Christ Jesus we don’t have to be anxious. What a relief it is to realize that God loves us enough to take our anxiety away. In 1 Peter 5:7 it says, “Cast your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
When we feel anxiety threatening to take over we need to remember that we are not in this alone. God is in it with us and He is the answer to our pain and turmoil, regardless of the choices of our kids. I love the verse in Philippians 4:6 that says, “Don’t be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Did you catch the word “thanksgiving” in that verse? We all have things for which we can be thankful. But, isn’t it true that we get so caught up in worrying about the negative things that we forget to be grateful for the good things. When we present our requests to God, if we will also thank him for listening to us, thank him for the prayers that have already been answered, thank him for the supportive people in our lives, thank him for loving us and our kids, it will help us to move away from our anxiety.

Talking about our anxiety, to God as well as in a safe place with others who understand exactly what we are experiencing can be a huge part of moving beyond it. Voicing our pain takes the power out of it and starts us on a journey toward hope and healing.