Written by Justine Froelker
“In everything you experience, work through, and survive, God wants you to remember to take His hand. In fact, when you forget to take His hand, He will still hold yours and lead the way forward. Then He leans down, takes your face in His hands, looks you in the eyes, and tells you, “Don’t be afraid. I will help you. I will guide you. I will show you the way. I will never leave you. I won’t forsake you either. I am here. It is good and if it isn’t good right now, it will be. I won’t let go of your hand. I promise it will get better. Do not be afraid, I am here.”
Day 68, 100 Devotions for Kids Dealing with Anxiety
Justine Froelker, MEd, LPC, CDWF, CDTLF is an author and speaker and our newest Zonderkidz author. Her new book, 100 Devotions for Kids Dealing with Anxiety releases today! Order here. She shares her thoughts here on why this book meets a need now more than ever:
For years and years now, it is probably one of the most common messages I get, whether from my friends or from someone in my social media communities:
“(Name) is having some anxiety, usually followed by a list of symptoms, frustrations, and fears. What can help? What can I do? What can they do? Can you please help us?”
These messages have only become more frequent and more desperate since 2020.
And most of us, at some point in our lives, can fill that blank in with just about anyone we love’s name or our own too.
For years, as a therapist, faith and especially Jesus wasn’t a common topic in my office, both because I had a very complicated relationship with Him myself back then and because I am not a Christian counselor.
Yet, make no doubt, I could feel and knew somewhere deep down that something bigger was needed and present.
What was almost always present in my office was how much people had no clue how worthy, how loved, and how enough they are. They also often didn’t grow up with examples of people taking care of themselves well, loving themselves well, or practicing healthy self-care and self-love.
My hope and prayer is that 100 Devotions for Kids Dealing with Anxiety feels like session after session with me sitting beside the reader as I teach the skills, tools, and language of living life with courage, even with anxiety, and living as loved as we truly are with Jesus as our empathic companion.
To know that you don’t have to be your anxiety.
To learn skills to cope with anxiety well.
To remember and know with everything in you how much God loves you and that Jesus is always with you.
I wrote these words for every child who deals with anxiety. I also wrote these words for the adults who love these kids. As I wrote, I often referred to a picture collage I made of some of my friends’ kids who I have helped their parents through very difficult anxiety battles. And more than all of this, I wrote this book for you. For anyone who has ever struggled with anxiety and who needs to remember how loved, worthy, enough, and free they are.
And honestly, I think that may be all of us.
Connect with Justine Froelker on social media here:
Facebook: Justine Froelker: Author, Speaker, CDTLF (facebook.com)
Instagram: Justine Froelker – courage (@justinefroelker) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: (9) Justine Froelker (@JustineFroelker) / Twitter
YouTube: Justine Froelker – YouTube