Choking your joy, held in its grip,

Stealing your peace, it won’t let you slip.

Anxiety attacks.

 

I see you crumble, lose your sleep,

Yet, you don’t give up—even if you weep.

Anxiety hovers.

 

“It will be okay,” I want to say—

I don’t know how, God, please show us the way.

Anxiety persists.

 

The breakthrough awaits, heaven seems silent…

Yet, under the weight of it, He is present.

Anxiety humbles.

 

I listen, I pray, I counsel, that’s all I can do,

But God, in His infinite grace, weeps alongside you.

Anxiety withdraws.

 

He is perfect—so you don’t need to be,

Prayer and petition with thanksgiving hold the key—

Anxiety replaced.

 

It may rear its ugly head again—but you’re ready,

Through the storms ahead, God will hold you steady.

Anxiety defeated.

 

Friend, as I jot down this simple poem, I know that walking alongside someone experiencing anxiety is far from simple or easy. Unlike this short poem, anxiety can seem endless and relentless. As the person you love is caught in its grip, you can feel the assault—and yet you are helpless.

But here are five reminders:

1. Your hope is in a good and gracious God—and not an outcome.
2. Your greatest weapon is prayer.
3. Your patience may run out. You may snap. You can repent and start over.
4. You can’t fix the person or the problem.
5. You are not God. You get to point to Him. That’s all.

 

Lean In

Father God, I pray for my sister or brother in Christ who is walking alongside a loved one with anxiety or depression. Father, you see their helplessness and frustration. You understand their fears. I praise You because Jesus stands in the gap. I praise You because the Spirit intercedes with groans even as they run out of words. Father, I pray for supernatural patience and emotional and physical strength as she navigates this. May she know that You are with her and that You are always enough. In Jesus’ name. Amen