Does anyone find themselves battling with anxiety? My battle seems excessive lately and I know I’m not alone. As a parent of 4 teenagers, it was difficult to drop my kids at school on February 15, following the horrific school shooting in Florida on Ash Wednesday.  My son’s response was the perfect teenage thought; “Mom, we have real police officers, we are safe."  And they felt safe; until the fire alarm went off at their school that afternoon.  Instead of the typical cheers and jeers of "let’s take a break and walk outside" alarm mentality, they were frozen, scared and anxious.  Luckily it turned out to be someone celebrating a birthday with too many candles that set off the alarm. But the anxiety is high for the kids and excruciating for parents.  

Our youngest daughter has been under a physician’s care for scoliosis for 7 years and now that she’s 14 (and 5’9”) and the curvature continues to develop and it is time to take corrective action.  She will undergo spinal fusion this week.  She is in amazing hands, yet our anxiety leaves us breathless.

Paul wrote to the Philippians: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. My Bible takes it further to note the peace we can place with God offers tranquility.  We all must enjoy the tranquility we are all given through his grace.  My prayer for all of us is to let go of our anxiety and let Him provide us His peaceful tranquility.