Some people find their calling through success. I found mine in chaos. I am a wife of 35 years, a mother to four adult children, and a grandmother to two beautiful little girls. But the titles don’t tell the whole story. They don’t speak to the sleepless nights, the crises, the moments I sat in a dark room wondering what in the world God was up to, or if He had even forgotten me. The chaos didn’t come all at once.

Have you ever prayed to the Lord for peace and still felt your heart racing? Fear rushes in before you can even catch your thoughts. And maybe the hardest part is that the situation has not changed. The issue is not resolved. The thing that started the fear is still sitting right in front of you. Sometimes peace feels far away, not because we do not love Jesus, know Scripture, or pray enough, but because fear can feel very loud in a very real situation.

Your family may be enduring extreme hardship right now. The trial may seem as though it will never end. One of your children may be bound to substances or a behavioral addiction. You may feel helpless, as though your prayers are going unheard and unanswered. Be confident of this—God is in control. He hears and answers our prayers. In faith, it is possible to believe for the freedom of our addicted children...and for the healing of our families.

Vivian was surrounded by people who loved and adored her, but no one knew she was suffering from childhood trauma, or that she barely slept—sometimes going days without any sleep at all. Even her closest friends had no idea she was suffering in silence. Tragically, when the darkness pressed in and became too much she took her own precious life, and we lost her forever.

Do you ever experience feelings of fear and anxiety? If so, you are not alone. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), over 40 million adults (19.1%) in the U.S. have an anxiety disorder.1 Although most people will occasionally experience mild symptoms of fear and anxiety, others may find their symptoms to be debilitating. While our symptoms may vary from mild to severe, for those of us who are believers in Jesus, we can find comfort in His presence.