Grief and Relationships
February 7, 2023Getting Well
February 7, 2023
One of the prompts in a book I was reading asked about worries or fears that I was dealing with. It was a good question because I had many new fears and anxieties; right after my husband passed away, I was scared about raising our children alone - something Jamaal never wanted. I was afraid about what came next, how I would move forward, our house, our dog (who is a rescue), and our property. More recently, I was concerned about income. I stopped working for various reasons and wasn't worried in the beginning. As time passed, I began to think about it more; one day, a family member asked me if I was working, and suddenly this minor anxiety grew into a problem I couldn't stop thinking about. I took my situation to the Lord in prayer.
I was more nervous than I had been and I couldn't shake my worry and anxiety over this issue - my biggest anxiety is finances. It is the one area of my life that I have the most trouble giving to God completely without trying to wrestle back control. It is the area where my faith in God and His provision falters and an issue that I have to surrender to God daily. I spent some time in prayer over this concern - each day I felt anxiety about it I would take it to God in prayer and simply told Him what my concerns were and that I realize that I shouldn't be worried about this since God will provide what I need and already knows my needs and concerns. Each time, God reassured me that He would provide and gave me direction on what I should do; over time the worry over finances dissipated and I was able to focus on other things. I'm thankful that God comforted me and was able to remove my anxiety from me. I'm grateful that there are so many Scriptures that speak about anxiety, worry and fear. The truth of God's Word helped calm me down and realize that it is a waste of time to worry. Worrying doesn't change anything and doesn't make the problem go away; I learned that there is a better use for my time.
In response to my prayers, My God sweetly and kindly reminded me to trust in His provision. To hand this worry into His care without trying to take control. He reminded me to follow His instructions and guidance, trusting that He knows what is best for the family and me. He is always good; He is my provider and showed me that He cares about me, my problems and that I can come to Him with any problem that I'm facing. I bring everything to God in prayer now - from my feelings to my hopes and dreams. I bring Him my questions and I ask His advice; He is faithful to answer my prayers and provide me with the guidance that I need. My relationship with God has grown since my husband passed away and I'm glad that I can bring anything and everything to Him. I can't stress enough how important my relationship with God has become to me and how I don't know how well I'd be tolerating my grief if I didn't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
