Chasing Shadows - Episode 7

The third step was seeking God in the stillness.

Anxiety had trained her to fear silence.

She had drowned it out with noise, music, social media, Netflix, anything to keep from being alone with her thoughts.

But now, she was learning to sit with God.

It started with five minutes.

Sitting in her room, no distractions, just breathing and whispering:
"God, I know You are here."

Some days, she felt nothing.

Other days, His presence was so strong, she wept.

But she kept showing up.

And over time, peace became her default instead of fear.

—

The fourth step was walking in community.

For so long, anxiety had made her feel like she had to handle everything alone.

But the truth was, she needed people.

She joined the workforce at church.
She let Tola pray for her, even when she didn’t feel like praying for herself.
She started being honest about her struggles.

And in those moments, when she wanted to give up, when the anxiety tried to pull her back, her community carried her.

—

But the hardest step?

Choosing faith over fear.

The panic attack came one night, unexpected and violent.

Her chest tightened.
Her breath shortened.
Her body shook as waves of fear crashed over her.

For a moment, she panicked.

"God, why is this happening? I thought I was better?"

Then, she remembered something Pastor Segun had said:

"Healing is not the absence of struggle. It’s the presence of God in the struggle."

Author’s Note

I love how Adebisi is evolving. It’s teaching me that though struggles exist but they can be overpowered…

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