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“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6  ESV

The Christmas season has been called “the most wonderful time of the year,” for many reasons. It is certainly the most exciting. All the planning, shopping, and family get-togethers…putting up the decorations…Christmas programs, recitals, football games…we love it all. But along with all of that, have you noticed an increase in anxiety?

Anxiety can be caused by small things as well as large, accompanied by a sure knowledge that things are out of control. It could be something as large as the loss of a loved one, an overloaded schedule, financial stress, or something as small as thinking a gift you chose for someone wouldn’t be “good enough.” Almost everyone among us has some anxiety at some time.

When my kids were small I had a lesson in anxiety and fear. Our family was on a camping vacation in New Mexico, driving a car and pulling a pop-up tent camper. One evening as we looked for a place to spend the night, the only campground within driving distance was a remote location in the desert. When we arrived, we found that it was situated at the bottom of a large bowl-shaped crater.

I am normally a calm, happy person, but as the road wound its way down the slope of the crater, a feeling of anxiety came over me, as if something evil was near. My anxiety increased as the evening wore on. We unloaded the car, and my husband put up the camper. As I was cooking supper, the children wanted to play on the boulders that were piled against the walls of the crater. I was terrified for them, sure that they would slip and fall to their deaths. But my husband had no such fear. He gave them permission to play on the rocks.

As it turned out, they didn’t fall to their deaths, thank God, but after we went to bed that night a heavy wind came up and shook the camper…hard. The shaking continued for a long time. In my anxiety, I imagined the devil himself was shaking the camper. My fear grew. Then that still, small voice spoke to me and said, “Praise the Lord.”

What? It came again, “Praise the Lord.”

In obedience, I began to praise the Lord. I started with hesitation, nearly unable to think straight. But as I continued my praise, my head cleared, the wind actually stopped, and soon I was praising God joyfully. What a miracle! It was a lesson I’ll never forget: anxiety and fear do not coexist with praise.

Dear friend, whatever the reason for your anxiety, the lesson I learned back then still holds true today. Praise the Lord! Psalm 150 is a good place for you to begin your praise. Push the pause button on the holiday rush and spend some quality time with the lover of your soul. And have a Merry Christmas!

“Dear Lord, we pause in the middle of the Christmas rush to remember that You came to earth, born as a child in a manger, to die for our salvation. We praise You for \Your great faithfulness, and ask that You would replace our anxiety with the joyful hope we have in You.”

 For His Glory

 Cherie Harbridge Williams
TRBC Women’s Life