How much time have you spent fretting about what will happen next? Maybe you’ve wondered how your current situation will play out exactly. Or how you'll overcome the anxiety and fear of a particular challenge you're facing. Sis, let me remind you of this one simple yet crucial truth… when we allow fear and anxiety to reign unchecked in our lives, we give the devil a foothold and enable him to rob us of our joy and weaken our faith.

Not in a million years did the thought of anxiety and depression ever cross my mind as something I’d have to live with. Never did I entertain the thoughts of despair and excruciating, debilitating pain mentally. But here I am, almost four years after being diagnosed with postpartum anxiety and depression, battling some of the same issues.

For many years I struggled with crippling fear, specifically in social situations. I was constantly caring about what others thought of me, obsessed with others’ perception of how I looked, what I said, and who I was. Social anxiety was a prison and a stronghold over my life. Maybe you don’t have something as severe as social anxiety, but you’ve noticed that you care a little too much about what others may think of you, or you tend to base most of your decisions on the approval of others. Has this fear of man caused you to become a bit of a recluse? Slinking into the shadows to avoid the spotlight for fear of being judged? Or maybe it has the opposite effect and has caused you to become a people-pleaser, perpetually trying to make everyone happy and molding yourself into what everyone else wants you to be.

Lately, I have been living off "Help me" prayers. My energy has been low as the daily demands of life are numerous and exhausting, leaving me overwhelmed and drained. Yet, even when the days are long, and our souls are yearning for rest, the Lord knows our hearts and will respond to us, even when all we can muster is "Help me, Lord."

A woman who says yes to God must confront the places and people she may have avoided in the past. For example, I have been taking my son on morning walks before the day's heat scorches everyone and everything outside. I have been enjoying my time getting outside, but my postpartum anxiety has me praying that no one stops me to talk. Spending quality time chatting with friends is a rarity I thoroughly enjoy. Still, unwanted talks with strangers leave me with anxious feelings and wanting to escape rather than engage in conversation.