"What a blessing was that stillness as He brought them safely into the harbor." -Psalm 107:30 (New Living Translation)
We are blessed when one of you sends a devotion to share with everyone through Day of Praise. Today, we thank one of our college students, Susannah Stuckey, who wrote this devotion called "Stillness" for her church and for all of us. Enjoy. And praise God for Susannah.
"What a blessing was that stillness as He brought them safely into the harbor." -Psalm 107:30
This verse means a whole lot to me right now. Many people don't know this about me because of my outgoing personality, but I have suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for years. About a year ago, my anxiety was so bad that I had to drop out of school and could barely even leave the house. Hanging out with friends, going on vacation, even just relaxing at home is easy for most people, but for me it has always been an effort because of this condition.
If you know me, you know that I have big faith…money, school, you name it. It doesn't stress me out because I know my God will take care of it. The only thing I have had trouble letting go of is my anxiety. I can't tell you how many times I have broken down crying because I thought I would never be able to do anything with my life due to my debilitating fears. In recent months, however, I have been determined to give this problem to the only one who can deal with it: God.
It all started when we read "The Circle Maker" as a church. I really put what the book said into practice. It has not been easy. I had to quit the job I was working because I couldn't go to work without having a panic attack. The night that I quit, the Lord gave me Exodus 14:14, which says, "The Lord your God will fight for you. You need only to be still." And that is exactly what he has been doing.
Like I said, it has not been easy. I have had days where I thought I was going to drown from the panic, but He always holds me up with his victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10). I regularly have to tell myself that He always protects me and that He has never let anything bad happen to me, so I have nothing to be afraid of. Since beginning to tell myself that regularly, the Lord gave me another verse, which I began this story with. "What a blessing was that stillness as He brought them safely into the harbor." (Psalm 107:30)
As of now, I am working again. I'm being social again. I am chasing my dreams and working on my song writing and performing. Most importantly, I am doing things I want to do (even though sometimes I feel terrified) because I know my Jesus is going before me. The Lord told me to be still and that He would take care of everything. So I did. And what a blessing was that stillness.
We all thank you, Susannah, for your witness.
Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson
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