Answered Prayer

     So in one of my psychology classes, my professor decided to do a little experiment...because that's what psychology people do lol. She gave us depression and anxiety self-evaluations. Then she said we would be taking the first part of each class for a time of prayer and meditation on God's Word. We would then see if our depression and anxiety improved. I thought, "Great idea because I suffer from clinical anxiety and depression." 
     One of my prayers was specifically about my anxieties, especially my social anxiety. Because I have autism, social situations take more work for me. I sometimes feel lost, confused, or unsure, and that leads to anxiety. My prayer was that God would lessen my anxiety and help me connect with people better. I never thought He would do what He did!
     I've mentioned before that I'm in the process of joining a social club at school. I knew it would be a good way to make new friends and connect with people. God has taken it even further. Since starting this process, I feel like a rose that blossomed from a closed-up bud. I went from the girl that tried to blend into the wall to being able to go up to someone, introduce myself, and keep a conversation going. I went from "I can't wait to go home" to "I can't wait for the next get-together". Before, I walked around campus saying, "I don't know any of these people." Now, I can walk around campus and say, "I know her and her and him and him..." 
     I was talking to my best friend, Erin, the other day. She has walked through this long and treacherous journey with me and was always by my side. She has seen the good and the bad and helped me through some rough times. I was telling her about all of this, and she laughed. Not in a mocking way but in an amused and delighted sort of way. She said, "That's a real change from when I first met you. You used to be so hesitant in big crowds and meeting new people. Now you're meeting tons of new people and going to these mixers. And now it's not a matter of 'Do I want to do this at all?'; it's a matter of 'Which one do I want to do?'"
     I can see the change in myself in just this short amount of time, and I love it! God not only answered my prayer, but He went above and beyond my expectations. With my past experiences, I guess I should know by now that that's how He works lol. God always answers our prayers. However, He answers them His way and in His own time. 

"I live in the same world you do; I just experience it differently. I am a human being with feelings, just like you; I just express them in my own way." ~Me~