SHAYLA

♥ FAVORITE VERSE:
Can any of you add a single hour to the length of your life by worrying?
-Matthew 6:27 (ISV)

♥ TESTIMONY:
I grew up with an amazing family in the church, and accepted Jesus in preschool. I didn't really know what it meant, I just knew that that's what we did. When I was seven years old, I started experiencing extreme anxiety and panic attacks (I could describe how detrimental and downright scary panic attacks are, but if you really gotta know...look it up), but I never told anyone because I thought I was dying. It got progressively worse and when I was in 5th grade I had become so anxious that I couldn't eat. I could feel my body draining of energy and became so weak that I couldn't get out of bed or off the couch. Even though I really didn't understand the plans God had for me, or how he would enter my life, I was really comforted by reading the bible and talking to him. I would read Psalms mostly because it gave me just a little bit of hope. Around 7th grade, my panic attacks got so bad that I finally told my mom and we went to the doctor and I learned about my panic and anxiety disorders. That summer I went to a camp with my church's youth group and I experienced God through worship and fellowship in a way that I hadn't before. That was when it became real to me that I wasn't hopeless, and that God's love is for EVERYONE. That first summer gave me motivation to chase after Jesus, and over the years I grew in my faith and relationship with Him. Now in my life, I still deal with anxiety and depression on a daily basis, but it doesn't rule my life anymore. I'm so thankful that I deal with it, because the biggest struggles in life can teach you who you really are. Through this I've learned that on my own, I'm useless. I can't do life without God. I NEED God. It's the most humbling experience and journey. I now look at my anxiety as a blessing rather than a disorder. God has used something so ugly and life-taking to give me motivation to do something about it. I just got so fed up with life that my only option was to trust in God, and actually fight for him. He has given me strength, comfort, and the ability to help others in this painful situation. I've learned that God doesn't make situations easier, but there is no 'self-help' book out there that can compare to His support and love.