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Anger, Endurance for the Journey, Fear, Healing, Loss, Relationships, Words of Endurance

Next Steps: Receive Support From Others

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December 15, 2011

- Category : Anger, Endurance for the Journey, Fear, Healing, Loss, Relationships, Words of Endurance

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Two people are better off than one,
for they can help each other succeed.
If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.
But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
ECCLESIASTES 4:9-10 (NLT)



One of the hardest things for me on my journey through suffering was to receive help from others. I always wanted to endure on my own – not rely on anyone but myself. Unfortunately, the journey becomes extremely lonely and difficult when we try doing it alone.



The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.
GENESIS 2:18



Being an amputee, I need a lot of physical support. Initially, I tried to do everything on my own – dress myself – put my luggage in the overhead bin – hang our Christmas lights. Pride got in the way. I did not want to humble myself and ask for help so I would struggle through the task becoming frustrated and then angry. It was not a pretty picture.



I have learned through the years though that I do need physical help – though humbling, it sure makes life a lot easier. Jan now tucks my pockets, puts my belt through the loops where I cannot reach and ties my shoes. When someone offers to put my luggage in the overhead bin – I gladly accept his or her help. As for the Christmas lights – I no longer hang them!!!!



“Friendship is one of the sweetest joys of life.
Many might have failed beneath the bitterness of their trial had they not found a friend.”
CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON



Going through the valley, I also needed emotional support. I needed the listening ear and understanding heart of a trusted family member or friend. I needed a ‘safe person’ to whom I could open my heart – share my fears and doubts – cry with – and not be judged.



Fortunately for me, I found that ‘safe person’ in Jan. She has listened to me, cried for me because I could not, just held me when there were no words and loved me when I did not deserve it. But at the same time, I can’t tell you how many times she has given me a swift kick that has challenged me to move forward again.



It is personal interaction such as this – the gentle hug and the swift kick – that helped me take those first steps forward. It can come only from someone tangible – someone you can touch, feel, and see. When someone reaches out to me, I experience the awesome gift of God’s expression of love towards me.



“Modern research echoes what the Bible has said for centuries: people who have intimate connections in which they are vulnerable and honest generally live better, function at higher levels, and heal faster than those who are isolated or distant from others. We all need the fuel of love and relationship to continue growing and healing.”
DR. JOHN TOWNSEND



When I experienced the dark night of the soul, I desperately needed spiritual support. During this time, I had no desire to even pick up the Bible to read. That was when Jan would step in and offer to read to me – to encourage me. She became my Bible. I was humbled.



The majority of this time I didn’t feel like praying but that was when my closest friends would come alongside and pray for me. In my darkest moments, I often would receive a call or a card from a friend or group from church saying that they were praying for me. I was so grateful that they stood in the gap for me – this encouraged me to move on.



Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,
but let us encourage one another—
and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
HEBREWS 10:25 (NIV)



Remember my friends, while there are seasons in our lives for giving – there are also seasons for receiving. As humbling as it may be, learning to receive will lighten your burden and help you to endure the journey.



On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky

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Endurance for the Journey, Healing, Hope, Perseverance, Words of Endurance

First Step: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

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December 15, 2011

- Category : Endurance for the Journey, Healing, Hope, Perseverance, Words of Endurance

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Endurance is what pushes the athlete to achieve the next level. It’s what keeps the explorer trudging upward over the next mountain range. And endurance is what enables those who are suffering to face another setback, to take one more painful step forward and to do so without losing heart.
DAVE DRAVECKY



From a very early age, I had a deep, inner drive to succeed, to conquer whatever challenge came my way. It was as if the passion to endure was woven through the very fiber of my being. Enduring the process of intense competition was part of who I was. It was second nature to me. This drive served me well on the road to becoming a professional athlete.



It also served me well when I was first diagnosed with cancer and was told that outside of a miracle I would never pitch again. When I started rehab, I didn’t know how much I would have to endure in order to get to a place where I could even stand on the mound and throw a baseball, much less pitch at the Major League level. But I loved the challenge of the process and taking on that physical challenge came very natural to me.



After my comeback, the cancer returned. There were more surgeries, radiation, a relentless staph infection and amputation – physically I was weaker than I had ever been with barely the strength to take one more painful step forward – I could not believe it – there was no personal drive left.



What surprised me even more was that because of the physical affliction I became weak emotionally and spiritually – along with the physical pain I also experienced a deep depression and a dark night of the soul.



Unfortunately, when you are facing physical affliction, your physical being is not the only part that is challenged. We are physical, emotional and spiritual beings and all are interdependent. It is impossible to have one part of our being impacted without the impact being felt by all three parts.



I was at the weakest point I had ever been … physically, emotionally and spiritually. I turned my eyes upon Jesus … the only step I had the strength to take.



My eyes are always looking to the LORD for help.
PSALM 25:15 (NCV)



DEAR FRIENDS, do not become weary and give up on your journey. Take that first step forward and keep your eyes on Jesus – who did endure the cross – who knows our pain – is seated beside the Father’s throne and intercedes for you and me.



And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus,
the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Because of the joy awaiting him,
he endured the cross,
disregarding its shame.
Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;
then you won’t become weary and give up.
HEBREWS 12:1-3 (NLT)



On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky

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Grace, Healing, Relationships, Words of Endurance

When Forgiveness Seems Impossible

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November 26, 2011

- Category : Grace, Healing, Relationships, Words of Endurance

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Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Matthew 18:21-22



Corrie ten Boom lost her entire family in a Nazi concentration camp. She barely escaped with her own life. After the war, she spent her life preaching throughout the world about God’s love and forgiveness. And then one day, her message faced the ultimate test.



I saw him in a church in Munich – a balding, heavyset man in a gray overcoat, a brown felt hat clutched between his hands. People were filing out of the room where I had just spoken. It was 1947 and I had come from Holland to defeated Germany with the message that God forgives.



One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a visored cap with its skull and crossbones. It came back with a rush: the huge room with its harsh overhead lights; the pile of clothes in the center of the floor; the shame of walking naked past this man. The place was Ravensbruck and the man had been a guard – one of the most cruel.



Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: “A fine message, Fraulein!” And I, who had spoken so glibly of forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that hand. I was face-to-face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.



“You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk,” he was saying. “I was a guard there. But since that time, I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from you as well. Fraulein” – again the hand came out – “will you forgive me?”



I stood there and could not forgive. My sister Betsie had died in that place – could he erase her death simply for the asking? He didn’t stand there long, but to me, it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do. I had to do it – I knew that. And still, I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart.



Jesus, help me! I prayed silently. I can lift my hand. You supply the feeling. And so mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. “I forgive you, brother!” I cried. “With all my heart.” For a long moment, we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then.



But even so, I realized it was not my love. I had tried and did not have the power. It was the power of the Holy Spirit as recorded in Romans 5:5, “…because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”



Condensed from “I’m Still Learning to Forgive” by Corrie ten Boom.
Reprinted with permission from Guideposts Magazine (November 1972)
Copyright 1972 by Guideposts, Carmel, New York 10512

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Healing, His Word, Hope, Pain, Words of Endurance

Our Light in the Darkness

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September 12, 2011

- Category : Healing, His Word, Hope, Pain, Words of Endurance

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Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
PSALM 119:105



I have told you before that it has been my experience when I am in that dark valley on my journey that I cannot “feel” God’s presence. While I may not sense God’s presence during those dark times I thank God that I have His Word. God’s Word has been the light that has led me out of every dark valley.



If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have preserved my life.
PSALM 119:92



One dark day during my darkest depression, I became angry with God – I could not feel or sense His presence – I felt alone – my emotional pain was great. I shouted to Him that I was going to turn from Him and turn to the world. I desperately wanted relief from my pain.



As I turned to walk away from Him, I began thinking about what I would choose to relieve my pain. The world offered many choices – food, drugs, alcohol, an affair, material goods, entertainment of all kinds, etc – take your pick. The only problem? Oh, each choice would take away the pain temporarily but I would still wake up the next morning with the same pain – with nothing changed.



I realized that the only tangible thing I knew in life that offered me eternal relief from my pain was the Word of God. I understood what Simon Peter meant when he was given the choice to leave Jesus. He said to Jesus:



“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
JOHN 6:68



Simon Peter knew and had witnessed the Truth – he had no choice but Jesus. I had no choice but to turn the Word of God – I, too, knew it was the Truth. His Word led me out of my dark valley – His Word will lead you out of yours. His Word – The Eternal Light that shines in our darkness.



In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
JOHN 1:1-5 (NLT)



On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

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Healing, Loneliness, Pain, Prayer, Words of Endurance

Lost That Feeling? Lost God?

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August 31, 2011

- Category : Healing, Loneliness, Pain, Prayer, Words of Endurance

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My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;
no one can snatch them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all;
no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
JOHN 10:27-29 (NIV)



When I was going through my depression, many of my senses and emotions went numb. One of my first senses to go numb was my sense of spirituality – my sense of the presence of God. I could not “feel” God. It felt like there was a cement ceiling between God and me and my prayers would bounce off that cement ceiling every time I tried to pray.



I felt as though God was nowhere to be found. But it was good to know once again that I was not alone in my feelings – King David experienced the same:



Listen, GOD, I’m calling at the top of my lungs:
“Be good to me! Answer me!”
When my heart whispered, “Seek God,”
my whole being replied,
“I’m seeking him!”
Don’t hide from me now!
PSALM 27:7-9 (The Message)



As did the Prophet Jeremiah:



And though I cry and shout,
he has shut out my prayers.
LAMENTATIONS 3:8 (NIV)



As did Job who was blameless and upright:



I shout for help, God, and get nothing, no answer!
I stand to face you in protest, and you give me a blank stare!
JOB 30:20 (The Message)



I was so relieved to have my feelings validated by such great men of God!!!! But even though I felt better about my feelings I still had a serious problem.



The problem? I believed if I could not “feel” God that meant that I had lost my relationship with God. This thought filled me with great fear until I read the top verse, John 10:27-29.



Praise God – Nothing could be further from the Truth! While you or I may lose our “feeling” of God and feel that we have lost God– God the Father and God the Son will never lose us – no one or nothing can snatch us from His hand.



Lost that feeling? Lost God? Then take comfort in knowing that God’s presence and God’s love is not dependent upon our feelings! Be encouraged and know that no matter what your state of mind is, there is nothing that can separate you or me from the love of God.



For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,
nor any powers, neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
ROMANS 8:38,39



On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

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Depression, Grief, Healing, Words of Endurance

Even Kings Get Depressed

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August 31, 2011

- Category : Depression, Grief, Healing, Words of Endurance

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“My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?”
PSALM 6:3



Before I went through my own valley of suffering and depression, whenever I would read the Psalms I would wonder why God put all of King David’s “whining” in the Scriptures for everyone to see. I felt it was such a display of weakness and a poor display of faith.



But after I went through my own depression I can’t tell you how thankful I was that God recorded King David’s “whining” in His Word because I now could so identify with his suffering –I cried out those same cries – I felt those Psalms were recorded just for me.



It brought me great comfort in my pain to know that I was not the only one who ever experienced depression in the valley of suffering. King David was “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) – Israel’s most illustrious king – a giant killer from his youth – and yet also here was a man given to depression in the midst of his suffering.



If you have ever been depressed, you know the symptoms: faintness of heart, endless days, sleepless nights, tears, obsessive fear, numbness, weakness, loss of energy, loss of joy, weight loss or gain – just to list a few. As I read the Psalms I realized that King David experienced many of the same symptoms of depression.



His laments and the laments of others before God are recorded in Scripture – notice the similar symptoms:



My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.
PSALM 38: 10



My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food.
Because of my loud groaning I am reduced to skin and bones.
I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.
I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof.
PSALM 102:4-7



I am worn out from groaning;
all night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.
PSALM 6:6



My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me.
Fear and trembling have beset me: horror has overwhelmed me.
PSALM 55:2,4,5



But just as I lamented about my depression before God the same laments as King David, I am thankful that I could also join in chorus and sing out the same praises with King David when he sang …



I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
PSALM 40:1-3 (NLT)



On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

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Depression, Grief, Healing, Words of Endurance

An Unwanted but Common Companion

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August 18, 2011

- Category : Depression, Grief, Healing, Words of Endurance

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“Where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?”
JOB 17:15



Whenever we go through a season of suffering, unfortunately, depression can be an unwanted but common companion on the journey. Job had experienced many afflictions and losses – loss of health, wealth and family – rendering him, as would be expected, depressed and hopeless as expressed in his words above.



Anyone experiencing a season of suffering or loss has a good chance of experiencing some depression on his or her journey. It is a known fact that 98% of all cancer patients experience some level of depression – from mild to severe. A cancer patient’s journey can be one of loss – loss of health, lifestyle and/or finances – all create stress and take their toll on us emotionally and then it impacts us physically.



After Dave and I went through our season of suffering we both experienced severe clinical depression. The depression robbed us of our physical strength and our Spiritual hope. Because we were experiencing depression we felt like failures and we were ashamed that we were not able to handle our life circumstances. Thus we felt immense guilt and the guilt only deepened our depression.



BUT …


We were comforted when we learned that depression was a common companion on the journey of suffering. The Scriptures gives many examples of Godly men who experienced depression – Job, the prophet Elijah and King David.



We were encouraged when we learned that many great Saints of the past – Charles Spurgeon, John Bunyan and even Oswald Chambers among them -experienced bouts of depression and yet God continued to use them mightily in the midst and in spite of their depression.



We felt hopeful when others came alongside us and let us know that they, too, had experienced depression and they had made it to the other side of the valley. We learned we were not alone and neither are you.



AND REMEMBER …


“… weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
PSALM 30:5



On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

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Healing, Hope, Treasures in the Darkness, Words of Endurance

Treasures Gleaned in the Darkness

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July 11, 2011

- Category : Healing, Hope, Treasures in the Darkness, Words of Endurance

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Michelle Dacus had confidence that God was with her and was working in her life, but making it through each day of her recovery from major reconstructive surgery was a struggle – to put it mildly. Her doctors had no idea how long her debilitating leg pain would last. They couldn’t even promise that it would get better. As a formerly active and energetic 18-year-old, she simply could not imagine a life of constant pain, around the clock medical care, and never being able to walk again.



As she faced the harsh reality of her situation, Michelle remembers asking the Lord what possible purpose her pain could serve. When she received no discernable answer, she resigned herself to trusting God no matter what. She remembers praying, “Lord, I’m going to have to trust you because if I get angry, my spirit will be worse; I’ll be empty. I’m choosing to trust You to work in my life even when I have no clue as to what You’re doing.”



Then the darkness completely overwhelmed her. Michelle was hospitalized with a life-threatening infection. For seven days she batted a 106-degree fever. She was packed on ice and put on powerful medications. “Being in the hospital again was my low point,” Michelle explains. “I just had a sick feeling of ‘Lord, where is this going?'”



When her fever broke, Michelle went home, but in her heart she was ready to go home to heaven. “I said to the Lord, ‘I just give up. I surrender. I am ready just to be with You.’ I remember praying, ‘just take me home.’ I felt that if I woke up in the morning and was still on earth, I would be disappointed.”



The next morning, Michelle woke up – in her bedroom. But something was different. She actually noticed the rose her father had placed on her nightstand, something he had done many times during her illness. “Up to that point, the flowers seemed like just another reminder of my sickness. But I smelled this rose, and it smelled good. I felt as if the Lord was saying to me that this was a turning point, a new beginning. That morning I knew in my heart that God had chosen to keep me going.”



Slowly, Michelle began to heal. When she was strong enough to read the Bible for herself, she remembered a card that her Sunday school teacher had given her before the surgery. Curious, she looked up the Isaiah 45:3 Scripture reference written inside. “As I read it, I just started weeping. It was as if I could hear the Lord speaking directly to me, ‘I will give you the treasure of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by name.’ When I read it, my heart was restored. It was as if the light came on.” That very morning she began recording in her journal all of the riches and treasures God had given her in the darkness.



When she was finally strong enough to go to church for the first time, Michelle received even more treasures from the hand of God. “I walked down the aisle with my walker and every family in our church was clapping. Then, as I was looking at the bulletin, I saw that we were going to sing my favorite hymn, ‘It Is Well With My Soul.’ I just cried. It was such a gift to stand with my walker and sing to God:



When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul



“Being able to worship him at that time affirmed everything. I had known of God’s faithfulness in my head, but that morning I discovered I could sing that hymn from my heart.”



Today Michelle carried in her journal a written testimony of God’s faithfulness during her illness, and she carries those treasures in her heart as well. “The greatest treasures God gave me in the darkness aren’t tangible,” she explains. “I can look at my body and see that God healed it, but the treasures in my heart aren’t visible. I want everyone who goes through the darkness to know that they can receive these treasures too.



“Being in the darkness gives us a special opportunity to find a place of contentment with the Lord – even when everything in life is upside down. Often we can’t see the treasures when we’re in the midst of the darkness. I know I didn’t. But, if we can endure through Christ’s strength, He’ll give us a treasure that will outlast the riches of the wealthiest man on earth. The riches of earth will perish. We cannot take them with us. But the treasures gleaned in the darkness of suffering are eternal. I’ll take those treasures with me for the rest of my life – and into eternity.”

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Anxiety, Breaking the Chains of Worry, Healing, Hope, Words of Endurance

Breaking the Chains of Worry

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June 26, 2011

- Category : Anxiety, Breaking the Chains of Worry, Healing, Hope, Words of Endurance

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Don’t worry about anything;
instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.
His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 (NLT)



Worrying is non-productive, burdensome and exhausting. But it is not easy to simply stop worrying and turn off anxiety like a faucet – OH wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could!!!!! But for those who live with a serious or life-threatening illness, the tendency to worry and become anxious is especially problematic because worry and anxiety rob us of peace, exhaust us and undermine our ability to make good decisions.



Yet God is well aware of our human tendency to worry. Scattered throughout His Word, the Bible, we find warnings against worry and advice for dealing with anxiety. In Philippians 4, we find great instruction for breaking the chains of worry – let’s take a closer look …



“Don’t worry about anything …”



God doesn’t suggest or encourage us not to worry – He commands us not to worry! When we worry, we carry a burden God never intended for us to bear. No wonder we buckle under its weight!



When we worry, it’s as if we are saying to God, “You really aren’t in control here. You may be able to keep the universe running, the stars shining and the planets spinning but You surely can’t handle my problem.” The truth is we don’t trust God.



“God’s children slander Him by worry and anxiety.”
OSWALD CHAMBERS



At the root of much of our worry and anxiety is unbelief. Our faith is anemic. We don’t actually believe God will help us. Like the father of the demon-possessed boy in Mark 9:24, we come to God for help but we aren’t sure He can help. The good news is, like this desperate father we can admit our unbelief. We, too, can cry out to God …



“I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”
MARK 9:24



How do we do battle with unbelief? How does our faith grow? One answer is found in Romans 10:17 …



So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
ROMANS 10:17 (NLT)



The more time we spend in the Scriptures, the more our faith is strengthened. Daily time in the Scriptures is one of the most effective tools for winning the war against worry. As we read about God’s faithfulness to His people, learn about His attributes and character, see His power displayed time and time again, the Word of God – “which is living and active” HEBREWS 4:12 – begins to transform us from the inside out. Our faith grows and as it grows – our worries subside.



Some worriers have a slightly different challenge. They readily believe that God is capable of handling their problems. Their problem with God is the secret belief that God may not love them enough to help them with their problem. They have no doubt that God is capable – they are not sure that He is willing.



As one confessing worrywart shared, “While I know God is big enough to handle my problem, I sometimes question whether He really loves me enough to help. I wish I didn’t question His love but it is the most difficult thing in the world to believe that an invisible God – the God of all creation – could love me.



When we question God’s love for us we feel insecure, unworthy and abandoned. We then feel totally responsible for our well-being – our future – our problems. So we worry. We may know from 1 John 4:16 that “God is love.” We may have memorized John 3:16 “For God so loved the world…” but somehow that love has not touched our hearts. Although we know it intellectually, we aren’t convinced in the depths of our soul that it is really true.



Like the father in Mark 9, we stand before God lacking, knowing that we need God’s help to grasp what He is offering. Like that desperate man, we can echo his honest prayer and ask God to help us overcome our doubts about His love for us.



Our need to know of God’s love is nothing new. Paul prayed that the Christians in Ephesus would grow in their knowledge of God’s love. We can employ this prayer for ourselves as well. And we can be assured that our honest prayer for God to reveal His love to us will not go unanswered.



We pray this prayer with you and over you …



Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.
Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should,
how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.
Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
EPHESIANS 3:17-19 (NLT)



On the journey with you,
Dave and Jan Dravecky

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Anxiety, Fear, Healing, Hope, Words of Endurance

Wrestling with Worry

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June 14, 2011

- Category : Anxiety, Fear, Healing, Hope, Words of Endurance

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Anxiety springs from the desire that things should happen as we wish rather than as God wills. ANONYMOUS



Worry is so pervasive that many counselors consider it to be the “common cold” of emotional problems. So if you struggle with worry and anxiety you are not alone. Statistics show that one out of four Americans will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder during his or her lifetime.



Worry and anxiety are especially troublesome when you are battling serious illness or dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy. Worry adds an additional heavy load during a time when burdens are already too heavy to carry. Worry can be the added weight that causes you to collapse under the burden of a difficult situation.



I can certainly say an “Amen” to that. I discovered the dark side of worry the hard way. There was a time in my life when I could worry and get away with it with little negative side effects. But then when the difficult, hard times of life hit us – my worry barometer went off the charts and I collapsed under the weight of it all.



I used to think that worry was the way to care for the people I loved. I would worry about their situations and how things would work out in the future. I wanted to help so I tried to figure everything out. I tried to consider all the possible scenarios and what I would have to do to control or be prepared for each scenario that I conjured up in my mind.



Worriers are visionaries without the optimism.
EDWARD T. WELCH (RUNNING SCARED)



When you come right down to it I was afraid of the future and what it could possibly hold. I was afraid the future would not turn out the way I wanted it to so I did everything in my power to control it. And if I could not control it – I was at least going to be prepared for it!



It was hard for me to be optimistic about our future when our world was falling apart around us. My worrying started to affect me physically. I would wake up in the middle of the night unable to go back to sleep. I couldn’t eat and I lost weight. I experienced panic attacks and eventually entered the wilderness of a deep, dark depression.



My worries were destroying me.



In order for me to stop worrying the first thing I needed to do was to place my trust where it belonged – in God’s loving, faithful hands rather than my own. I needed to stop focusing on the “what ifs” and focus on the promises of God in His Word.



By knowing that He will lead us and guide us till we meet Him on the other side …



For that is what God is like.
He is our God forever and ever,
and he will guide us until we die.
PSALM 48:14 (NLT)



By knowing that our worries and fears will never separate us from His Love …



And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.
Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—
not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
No power in the sky above or in the earth below—
indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us
from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
ROMANS 8:38-39 (NLT)



Reassuring myself of His faithfulness …



The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23 (NLT)



And then I could and you can too …
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
1 PETER 5:7 (NLT)



On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

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