Gracefully Navigating Anxiety: Gospel Direction for a Peace-filled Mindset

By Heather Frank

Back of book:

I'll never be good enough.

I have nothing to offer.

Will I ever overcome this?

Sound familiar? You're not the only one trapped in this toxic thought process. The defeat that comes with the mental, emotional, and spiritual toll caused by anxi

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heather Frank
• Release date: Jun 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781737453314

Book preview

Praise for

Gracefully Navigating Anxiety

——

Heather's raw and vulnerable account of displaying her own anxiety is incredibly relatable. She has quite obviously leaned into her faith in Jesus and the truth of God's character and nature as a source of strength and healing. She provides practical tools for helping those who struggle similarly to this journey through healing and freedom. In post-Fall life, we can expect there to be struggles — and many deal with debilitating anxiety and depression. With Heather's telling, it is comforting to know we are far from alone, and there is help, hope, and healing available to those who will work at it.

— Mitzi Brown, MA, NCC

I recommend this book to any woman dealing with anxiety.

— James Fry, Counselor, MA, LMHC

Heather has leaned into Jesus as He has walked her through the valley of the shadow. He has made her lie down in green pastures and restored her soul as she has wrestled with debilitating anxiety. Gracefully Navigating Anxiety offers grace and an unlocked door for those who are ready to turn the doorknob and walk worthy of their calling as a son and daughter of Christ.

— Erin {Squeeze} Willis, Director of Discipleship Bayside College

Anxiety can feel like a daily battle that tries to rob you of your life. We need friends who have walked that truth before us so that we may see there is light ahead. This book will give you resources and a friend for the fight.

— Michelle Rabon, author of Holy Mess, editor of Gracefully Navigating Anxiety

An appropriate message for today. Gracefully Navigating Anxiety honors both the person dealing with anxiety and God's Word concerning it. The exercises and tables enable the reader to bring internal thoughts to the surface, acknowledge ways to counter toxic mindsets, and establish a personalized game plan so that anxiety does not rule their lives.

— Christa Eans, Daytona Dream Center

Reading this book is like sitting on a couch and having a conversation with a good friend. Heather brings a raw authenticity by sharing her own journey and what she has learned. You will be invited to have that conversation with your own heart and in prayer. I know I did.

—Kimberly Robertson, Writing Coach, POV Solutions, editor of Gracefully Navigating Anxiety

Copyright © 2021 by Heather Frank

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN: 978-1-7374533-0-7

ISBN: 978-1-7374533-1-4 (e book)

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Cover Design by Heather Frank

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Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from THE ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright©2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

While this book is intended as a general information resource drawn from Scripture and psychology, neither the author nor distributors can be held responsible for any loss, claim, or action that may arise from reliance on the information contained in this book. As each person and situation is unique, it is the responsibility of the reader to pursue sound doctrine of Scripture and consult a qualified professional regarding their own personal care.

Photo credits: ©Emily Mathewson (headshot, pages 177, 178), ©Canva.com/Anton_Sokolov (Cover), ©Canva/hooyahphoto (pages 43, 63, 77, 89, 107, 127, 141)

To the man who always points me to the

Lighthouse, Jesus.

Joshua Frank, thank you. I love you.

To our children who remind us of the why.

Hudson and Emerson, your tenderness and

joy shine the brightest in our home.

Never doubt how much we love you.

To my fellow worriers that strive daily to be

conquerors.

This is for you.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

— John 8:12

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."

— Isaiah 43:2

You don’t have to

navigate the storm of anxiety

alone.

CONTENTS

Letter from the Author

——

A weak mind does not equate to weak faith.

Read that again.

And again.

The struggles you face in your mind do not mean you lack faith for restoration. It does not mean you are beyond the hope of repair. And you are not any less valued than the person next to you.

I have to repeat this truth to myself more often than I’d like to admit. It is in the moments when I’m drowning in fear and isolation that I whisper to my troubled soul, Everything is okay. I am okay. I have a feeling you’ve been there too. You’ve walked into a crowd, be it at church, your child’s school event, or your weekly meeting at work, and you automatically feel out of place. You look at the confidence of the person next to you and think, They have no idea what rejection, fear, or anxiety tastes like. If only we knew at that moment, they may be thinking the exact same thing about you. If only we knew in that moment, they too were silently struggling.

I imagine you and I are sitting in my living room, drinking coffee, confiding in one another. We discover an old friend of mine (anxiety) has shown its ugly face to you.

You too feel as if the walls are closing in a room full of doubt and confusion, believing there is no way out. Guilt may quietly creep in, making you believe you brought this upon yourself due to some lack of faith movement. I see the sting of shame in your eyes and the weight of worry held on your shoulders. You’re at the breaking point I once was, and with this meeting you’re holding out for hope. Questions consume your mind, such as, How can I move forward? How can I transform my mind from the lies that fill my head? More importantly, How can we live faithfully as a Christian who struggles with anxiety?

In my most difficult moments and waves of panic, I sought out books and studies to help me. Reflecting back to my years of study, my undergrad experience in psychology never quite made the answers personal. What was the bridge to navigate this journey as an anxious Christ-follower?

The truth in Scripture shows our faith in Jesus can move any size mountain in front of us. This can happen because God says it can (Matthew 17:20). Sometimes He allows the mountain to move. Sometimes He calls us to journey up the mountain.

My story differs from the one told by many former sufferers of anxiety in the church. Unlike some, I have never witnessed that mountain move, or as we can relate, a healing of the mind. No. My story is one of Jesus calling me to journey up the mountain for the sake of learning how to gracefully navigate through anxiety. His presence in my life has not meant that I have become radically healed, rather, I am no longer walking this road alone. Like Paul, I have also cried out and prayed fervently in the middle of my own panic for God to take this thorn in my flesh and rescue my mind.

Although I would never discredit a radical healing movement in someone else’s journey, that is not a part of my story leading up to this point. To this day I battle the waves of panic,