A day doesn’t go by that most of us don’t battle some form of anxiety. We may be worried about losing a job or succeeding in a new position; moving to another state or down the block; undergoing a medical test to rule out serious illness or waiting for its results.
I recently received a text message from my friend, John about his wife: “I am writing so you can pray for Mary this week. She goes for her biopsy. One is because they saw some calcification and the other one because they saw a small nodule. Please pray that all results will come back negative.” I called him to check on how they were doing and to learn more about the upcoming test. I could hear the concern in his voice—the threat of cancer overwhelmed him with fear. But he also turned to prayer for assurance and peace of mind. I agreed to pray for him and especially for Mary. I asked God to ease their minds as they waited for the test day and its results. Although it would be a few days, for them it felt like months. Waiting can make us feel anxious and distressed as our minds create scenarios of danger or possible misfortune. My dear friend was fighting these thoughts and emotions as he lifted up his anxiety to the Lord in prayer.
The longer the wait, the greater the struggle, the more we need to pray. It builds up our faith and diminishes our fears. I have learned that holding on to faith is the only way to get through times like this.
A few days later I got another text message from my friend, “To God be all the Glory. The doctor called and all is well with Mary. God is great!“ I called him to celebrate the good news and that in lifting up his worries to God, he had found relief, even joy.
