My testimony

My Testimony By Anna Nash My entire life growing up I was constantly riddled with anxiety and other mental health issues. From the age of eight, I experienced depression for the first time, along with the crippling anxiety I experienced growing up. I grew up in a very Christian household, always believing that I knew God. I was baptized when I was five, yet I wouldn’t confidently say that I ever KNEW God until I was about 14. Knowing of God and truly knowing God are two very different things, yet they can be commonly confused. The start of high school was when I really started to learn who God really was. Freshman year is a scary year full of new people, experiences, and so many unwarranted things that no one warns you about. Freshman year was also the first year I had without my sister after she moved to Virginia to pursue her interest in a nursing degree. I used to always go to youth group with her, riding with her there, sitting with her and her friends, only really ever hanging out with her during it. I finally willed myself to go by myself after my parents encouraged me to. It was absolutely terrifying at first, and to those who don’t know me well, I am a very shy person at first. As mentioned before, I struggled with really bad anxiety, which included social anxiety. I went into the church on the verge of tears, knowing absolutely no one and terrified of having to speak to anyone new. I sat down by myself, yet not for long because I was quickly accompanied by Rahel Van Der Reit. She encouraged me to come to the stage with her for praise and worship. As songs blasted into my ears and lights shone all around me, I felt the Holy Spirit enter me for the first time, or at least the first time I recognized it. From that moment on, I began to grow a hunger for God’s Word, wanting to learn more about Him. God blessed me with a healing that is beyond anything the world could ever provide. I have since then been healed with an indescribable amount of peace and joy beyond understanding. Although