Where have you seen Jesus lately?

This question came in an email from a popular author and podcaster. What a great thing to stop and think about.

“Where have you seen Jesus lately?”

My immediate response surprised me.

In my anxiety. In my ANXIETY?

I was excited to realize it was true. My years-long struggle with anxiety has included times of relief and times of overwhelm, but I am finally learning to see Jesus more clearly in all of it.

I keep 2 Corinthians 12:9 in a frame on my bathroom counter to remind me:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

In this verse, Paul helps me understand that God is not disappointed when I feel anxious. He is not going to just leave me alone until I “get over it.” He is not waiting to use me until I have it all under control.

It’s actually the opposite. In my most anxious moments, he comes closer and empowers me. I have read this verse and believed it for years, and now I am beginning to experience it.

I’ve done some hard things in the past few months. Promoting my new picture book was exciting, but also very challenging for an introverted person like me. Starting a new school year with some extremely difficult student behaviors has caused me quite a bit of physical and emotional stress. Flying to Oklahoma to speak at a women’s event took much prayer and preparation to keep the panic away.

But he has been right here with me—helping me trust his power to do these hard things.

At the Covered Live event in Oklahoma, Angie Baughman, Halee Wood, and I had the privilege of sharing with a beautiful, open-hearted group of women about how God meets us in the hard emotions and painful experiences of this life. Angie talked about being “Called out of Insignificance,” Halee shared her story of being “Untangled from Shame,” and the title of my message was “Empowered in Fear.” It was really special to be able to share about how this “thorn in my flesh”–this anxiety and panic that I am susceptible to–has become a portal for God’s power to work in my life. I encouraged those who also struggle with fear and anxiety to welcome these emotions as opportunities to discover more about Jesus and walk even more closely with him.

The three of us felt so honored to speak about how God covers us in our most vulnerable places—bringing redemption and hope. We talked about his faithfulness to meet us where we are and the promises he keeps.

Our theme verse for Covered Live:

He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Psalm 91:4 NLT

We all battle difficult emotions and circumstances. We all feel like we are not enough sometimes. But here’s the good news for today: every single one of us is invited to crawl into the shelter of his wings and be covered with his love. No matter what we are going through. And no matter what our weaknesses are. He’s got us.

So now I am asking the question to you—

Where have you seen Jesus lately?

I can’t wait to hear.

Love, Susie

Dear Jesus, thank you for your unconditional love and patience as we learn to trust you. You are always good, you are always watching over us, and you are always covering us with protection and peace. Please help us to see YOU more clearly in everything we are going through. We trust that your grace is enough, and your power is made perfect in our weaknesses. Amen.