"I Surprised Myself"

I get socially anxious sometimes and church is honestly a place where it happens frequently. I think it’s just sitting all close together. I sometimes feel trapped and my thoughts loop on what others are thinking of me.

One day I decided to walk around in the hallways to ease the anxiety. While walking I passed a young man, sitting alone, who looked down. In my thought process, I did as I usually do and simply kept walking, not looking around or making eye contact. When I rounded the corner, I got the feeling to go back and ask him if he was alright. I got really nervous at the thought, but I felt peace too. I knew I needed to follow that prompting.

I turned around and walked up to the young man and asked, respectively, if he was alright. He looked up and began to express that he was not. I surprised myself by sitting down next to him and he talked. He told me of the worries and troubles that he was feeling and I found my own feelings begin to change. A genuine love and care for this young man replaced my anxious feelings, and I no longer was worried. I was just wanting to help Him. When he was done he thanked me for asking—it meant a lot to him. We have become friends and I feel grateful every time we see each other.

If you feel socially anxious, don’t worry. I understand it, and I don’t think the Lord wants us to do anything we can’t handle. On that day though, I believe the Lord knew someone was in need, and He knew I could help, even if nervous. 🙂