I am not immune from stress and anxiety and have found ways to grow as a person as I have dealt with overwhelming problems. For example, I was very discouraged as a campus minister at the Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo, California. I listened to students share problems they faced as we studied the Bible together to learn more about God. The supervisor I was under put a lot of pressure on me to get students in my study group to share their faith in group meetings and organize student outreaches. My desire was to encourage students, not to put pressure on them.

I decided to meet with a counselor who listened to me share about the pressure I was feeling from my supervisor. He helped me re-evaluate what I was thinking and how I was responding to this problem. I learned I might not be able to change my supervisor’s expectations but I could change the way I thought about myself. My worth as a person was based on being made in God’s image and his love for me, not on what others thought.

The counselor helped me develop goals that I wanted to pursue. I wanted to serve in Christian ministry helping others work through problems and know more about God’s love. I decided it would be important to pursue graduate education which would open doors in ministry.  As a result, I attended graduate school which led to working in family therapy clinics helping clients work through anxiety and depression.

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