[Amanda Bailey is a young adult at The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a wife, mother, phenomenal singer, and has godly insights for FWB young adults that is worth reading.]

One night when my husband, Loren, was deployed to  Iraq, I just couldn’t sleep.  So I was on Facebook and had posted a status about my sleeplessness.  My cousin commented that I should just pray about it.  Having grown up in a family of Christians, I had prayed a lot before.  Over illness, travel, food, exams.  But never sleep.  And though this wasn’t my first sleepless night, I knew it couldn’t hurt.  I am, by no means, a pro at prayer, but I always try to start by thanking God for the many blessings He’s given me.  Because how could I possibly ask Him for anything without first recognizing that He is the only one who provides?

As those words of thanksgiving poured out, I just bawled.  I am a crier anyway.  And when I get deep, I’m like Alice in Wonderland, swimming in my own tears.  I thanked Him for the obvious: my family, shelter, food, friends.  I thanked Him for the frivolous: dessert, cable, air conditioning.  As I thanked Him for all these things, I felt myself starting to relax.  I continued to express my feelings of anxiety over Loren being in a war zone.  Praying that God would keep him safe.  And the thought occurred to me that Loren really could get hurt and that was why my nights had been so restless.  Up until that point, I had done all I could to keep from thinking about that possibility.  So I prayed that I would be able to trust in His will for our family, whatever that may be.

Growing up at TDF, I’ve heard Rob say “Lord-willing” more than I could possibly count.  But it wasn’t something I put a lot of thought into.  But as I sat on my bed, I came to terms with the fact that everything we “plan” is Lord-willing.  He has the ultimate control and He knows what is best.  Every second we spend worrying about something is wasted time – time that we could spend in prayer strengthening our relationship with the Lord.  In Matthew 6:27, Jesus asks, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”  And back in Philippians 4:19, we are told that our God will meet all of our needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.

That night, after several minutes of tears and several more spent praying, I finally let go of that worry and slept like a baby.  Now whenever I start to feel that twinge of worry, I read verses like Philippians 4:6-7 and worry just disappears.  There are so many Scriptures that reference worry and why we should not engage in it.  I also like to keep Romans 8:28 close to my heart at all times because no matter what’s happening in my life, good or bad, this verse just makes me feel safe.

As adults, especially young adults, we are coming into our own and becoming independent.  Which is something we all have to do and it’s not a bad thing.  But when we start relying only on our own strength, we suffer even more.  Which is what I was trying to do.  When you hear the term “Army Wife”, most people think of strong women who take care of house and home all on their own and never need help.  I thought I could maintain the house, raise our daughter, pay the bills, and carry on our family life all on my own.  And while I was successful for the most part, it had nothing to do with me.  He was there…carrying me.  So hold fast to the Lord and remember you are never too old to be wrapped in the Father’s arms.  Meredith Andrews has a song called “In Your Arms” that expresses what I’m trying to say better than I can do in my own words.

She talks about getting face down on the floor in prayer and the chorus says:

And I’m in Your arms
Where I belong
There’s no other place for me
Than right where You are
Some things just don’t change
When I call Your name
You never hesitate to wrap me in endless grace
When I’m in Your arms