Jesus Chair

What causes you to feel anxiety or fear?  For me, it is public speaking.  I can sit down and write and write and write, but the moment I have to share something out loud, with a group of people, I stumble over my words, my voice shakes and my palms sweat.  I've heard that it is a common fear among Americans.  Unfortunately, I often have to face my fear on the job.  A big part of my job is sitting in meetings and sharing information about students with parents and colleagues.  So, when I look at my calendar and see an upcoming meeting, I begin to have lots of anxiety.  Days before the meeting, my nerves will begin to affect how I react to my husband and children...I will be cranky and "on edge".  And, shortly before the meeting, I will feel the butterflies in my stomach.  So, one day when I read my daily devotional book, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, and she addressed the issue of anxiety, I felt like she was speaking directly to me.  She mentioned envisioning anxiety-provoking events and picturing Jesus being the center of those events.  Picture Him right there in the midst of your fearful circumstance....picture Him sitting next to you...picture Him holding your hand...picture Him holding you up!  He is there...always has been and always will be!  Today, I was speaking with a friend about her anxiety and some upcoming meetings for her job.  I was sharing Sarah Young's wise words about anxiety and picturing Jesus in those meetings.  She told me that she was going to leave a chair empty at the meeting table and reserve it for Jesus.  What a cool idea!  I think I might start doing the same thing and not just at work...in my home, in my car...wherever I go, I will reserve a seat for Jesus and I will make him the center of my anxiety-provoking event.  Because he will be sitting in his "Jesus Chair", I will not stumble over my words, my voice will not shake, my palms will not sweat and I will not fear!