My Story

Jesus has been a friend when I have had no other.  When I have been lonely. When I have been anxious and fearful. Jesus has always been there with me in the darkest of times and in the happiest of times. He has been a constant in my life.

It hasn't always been like that though. I haven't always had a strong faith in Jesus. I started out loving Jesus as a child but then I stepped away. 

I was bullied as a child because I was very quiet and shy, and I was taller that everyone else at school, even all the boys. I was a bit “gawky” really and I found it difficult to make friends. And, because of the bullying, I had a real need to be accepted by my peers, especially as I got older. I wanted to be liked, so hence I started going to clubs, not church, and started smoking and drinking, among other things, thinking this would make me “look cool”. 

But what I love about Jesus is that he never let's us go. He is always there even though we don't want to accept it. He persues us until we find our way back to him, not in a coercive way because that is not what he is like, but in a gentle, loving way. And that is what he did for me. 

I do want to say, though, that while I now have a deep relationship with Jesus, life is still tough sometimes. It is not “a bed of roses”. I still have anxiety, and some days it is harder than others, but the thing that gets me through is knowing that I can always bring my worries and anxieties to Jesus. I have learned that I need to “trust” in Jesus and not try and work out everything for myself or assume that I know everything. I am God’s “beloved, forgiven child” and Jesus is always with me, strengthening me and giving me courage. 

If you want to have freedom in Jesus from anxiety and want to be forgiven and loved unconditionally and you don’t know how to do that, you could pray this prayer:

Dear Jesus, please help me now. You have said you will forgive me and love me unconditionally if I just ask, so I ask you now to please free me from my anxiety and forgive me for everything I have done wrong. Help me Jesus to also forgive myself so that I can have freedom in you. Amen.