Tiana // First year // English & Spanish

One of the ways that God has shown himself to be real to me is in my fear. When I look at the world and see the problems that exist globally, in the community, and in my own life, it is all too easy to give in to fear and anxiety:

- Fear of not being accepted
- Fear of failure and making mistakes
- Fear and uncertainty about the future
- Fear for safety
- Fear of the death of a loved one or myself.

These are fears that I'm sure most of us can relate to and that can, at times, feel overwhelming and exhausting.

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest'. Often when I feel overcome with fear and worry, I try to reassure myself and dismiss those thoughts with little success. But in the times when I have turned to God in my struggles, he has reminded me of truths about himself that speak to whatever situation I find myself worrying about and has given me his peace and reassurance.

Ultimately, my greatest comfort comes from knowing that Jesus promises not just temporary relief in moments of anxiety, but an eternal peace. I have a hope that one day I will live with Him in a world where fear will have no place because evil and the pressures of this world will no longer exist.

God has shown himself to be real in my life by giving me peace in the moments when nothing and no one else could, and hope of a better life with Him, free from all fear, that will last forever.