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Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart

Peace in His Presence: Hope for the Anxious Heart

By: Michelle Diercks
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Do you lie awake at night with racing thoughts you can't turn off? Are you exhausted from worry, overwhelmed by what-ifs, and struggling to trust God when fear feels louder than faith? Friend, you're not broken. Your brain is stuck in well-worn worry ruts — and God's word can change that. I'm Michelle Diercks, Master Certified Christian Life Coach, author, and speaker. For over seven years I've helped anxious women and overwhelmed Christians find real, practical relief from worry, fear, shame, and the exhausting cycle of trying to control everything. Each episode combines proven coaching tools, neuroscience, and the truth of Scripture to help you break free from anxious thoughts and find rest — even at 3 AM. This is for you if you're tired of overthinking, carrying burdens that aren't yours, or feeling like your faith should fix your anxiety but somehow it isn't. You'll find honest conversation, practical tools, and the kind of hope that holds even when everything feels uncertain. You don't have to hold the universe together. That job is already taken — by the One who loves you, knows you, and calls you by name.Copyright 2023 Michelle Diercks Christianity Spirituality
Episodes
  • When Worrying Doesn't Fix It

    When Worrying Doesn't Fix It
    Jun 25 2026
    You've been worrying about them for months. Maybe years. And here's what all that worry has fixed: nothing. Not their pain. Not their situation. Not the ache in your chest that shows up every time your phone rings. You know worrying doesn't fix it. You know that. And yet you cannot stop. You replay the conversations. You brace for the next phone call. You carry their pain home with you and set it right down on your kitchen table like it belongs there. Friend — this episode is for you. What This Episode Is About In this episode of the When You Cannot Fix It summer series, we're talking about what happens when you love someone so much that their pain becomes yours — and your nervous system simply will not rest until it's resolved. This is the invisible backpack. And most of us have been stuffing it full for years. We talk about why we do this — not just out of love, but because sitting with someone else's pain is deeply uncomfortable. We talk about the real neuroscience behind why your body replays their story again and again. And we talk about what to do instead — practically, not just spiritually. This isn't about caring less. It's about learning to carry less. What Christian Women Are Searching For — And What Jesus Says So many Christian women are carrying burdens that were never theirs to carry. Worry that belongs to God. Pain that belongs to someone else. Problems they were never designed to solve. Maybe you recognize yourself here: • You absorb the emotions of everyone around you — phone calls leave you heavy for days • You replay conversations looking for the thing you could have said that would have fixed it • You live under what I call "doom clouds". • You cannot rest until everyone around you is okay • You tell yourself you're just being a good friend, a good mom, a good daughter — and you're exhausted That is not weak faith. That is not a character flaw. That is a nervous system that has been working overtime — protecting you and the people you love. And Jesus meets you right there. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." — Matthew 11:28 He is not saying — stop worrying and then come. He is saying — come. Weary. Burdened. Carrying what isn't yours. Just come. The Story Behind This Episode Years ago I had a friend who was carrying some of the heaviest things a person can carry. She would call me and I would listen — and I was always honored to listen. But here's what I didn't realize I was doing. Every time we hung up the phone, I felt a deep ache in my heart. I replayed what she had told me. Not just praying about it — thought looping. Spinning. Trying to figure out a way to fix her pain. And here's the honest truth of why we do this. We tell ourselves we are trying to help. And we are. But we also want to fix it so that we feel better too. Because sitting with someone else's pain is uncomfortable. And when we take it on, we feel it too. It took me a long time to learn this: sometimes people stay stuck. And carrying their stuckness is not helping them. It is absolutely exhausting you. I also share in this episode about the doom clouds I was living under with my kids — how they would call me from college, unpack the hard things, and then go live their best lives while I sat back in Iowa under the weight of what they had already set down. This is not a tidy lesson from the other side of healed. This is a real story from a woman who is still learning to lay it down. What You Will Discover in This Episode If you are a Christian woman struggling with worry, anxiety, or the exhausting need to fix people you love — here is what this episode will give you: • Why your brain absorbs other people's pain — and why that is not a spiritual failure • The simple neuroscience behind why replaying someone's story puts your body in fight or flight again and again • The invisible backpack — and what you have been quietly stuffing into it • The one question that has changed everything: What am I trying to carry that is not mine? • A practical way to bring what you are carrying to the foot of the cross — and actually leave it there • An introduction to the Joy Pause — learning to stay present with what is actually here instead of time-traveling into worry Scriptures Referenced in This Episode 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Not some of it. Not just your own anxiety. All of it — including the worry you absorbed from someone else's phone call. Philippians 4:8 "Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — think about such things." After you lay it down — what do you pick back up? Not the replay. Not the what-ifs. Truth. His promises. What is actually lovely and real right now. Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Free Resource — Weary...
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    19 mins
  • When You Cannot Fix It: Rest for the Weary Soul

    When You Cannot Fix It: Rest for the Weary Soul
    Jun 1 2026
    Are you a Christian woman who can't stop worrying about someone you love? Maybe it's your child who is struggling and won't let you help. Maybe it's a marriage that feels like it's slipping through your fingers. Maybe it's a parent's health or a situation at work or a relationship that keeps you awake at 3am spinning through every possible worst case scenario. You believe in God. You know He is in control. And your body still won't calm down. Friend — there is nothing wrong with you. And you are not alone. In this first episode of the When You Cannot Fix It summer series, I'm sharing something I've never talked about publicly before — a childhood memory that quietly shaped decades of anxiety, over-responsibility, and carrying burdens that were never mine to carry. And I'm sharing what I'm learning to do with all of it. If you have ever felt like a control freak and wondered why you can't just let go and trust God — this episode was made for you. What Christian Women Are Searching For — And What Jesus Says So many Christian women are exhausted from trying to fix things they cannot fix. Trying to control outcomes they cannot control. Trying to manage the emotions of everyone around them while quietly setting their own aside. Maybe you recognize yourself in this: You are the one who holds it all together even when you are falling apart on the inside. You replay conversations looking for the loophole — the magic words that will finally change things. You feel physically sick when someone you love is hurting and you can't see them or reach them or make it better. You brace for disaster on a perfectly ordinary Tuesday because your nervous system has been on high alert for so long it doesn't know how to stand down. That is not weak faith. That is not a character flaw. That is a nervous system that has been overworking for a very long time — trying to protect you and the people you love. And Jesus meets you right there. Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 He is not saying — get it together first and then come. He is not saying — stop worrying and then come. He is saying — come. Weary. Burdened. Braced. Just come. The Story Behind This Episode I grew up as a twin. My sister Jimella and I were little girls in a kitchen in International Falls Minnesota — the icebox of the nation — when something happened that quietly shaped the next fifty years of my life. I didn't understand it until this past year when I began studying how our nervous systems build protective patterns. And when I finally understood it — I didn't feel ashamed anymore. I felt compassion. For that little girl who just never wanted to see someone she loved get hurt again. That's what this episode is about. Not a tidy lesson from the other side of healed. A real story from a woman who is still in the middle of learning to lay it down. What You Will Discover in This Episode If you are a Christian woman struggling with anxiety, worry, or the exhausting need to fix and control — here is what this episode will give you: A new understanding of why your brain builds protective patterns and why that is not a spiritual failure. The simple neuroscience behind why your nervous system stays in fight or flight even when there is nothing left to fight. Compassion for that part of you that cannot rest until everyone is okay — instead of shame. A practical way to bring what you are carrying to the foot of the cross and let Jesus hold what was never yours to carry in the first place. And the beginning of learning to let go — not perfectly, not all at once, but one thing at a time. Free Resource — Weary Traveler Reflection and Prayer Guide I made something for you. It's completely free. The Weary Traveler: Rest for the Over-Carrying Soul Reflection and Prayer Guide will walk you gently through eight reflection questions and a prayer of release — right to the foot of the cross with whatever you are carrying today. If you are already on my email list it is on its way to you. If not — download it free right here. Ready to Go Deeper? If you find yourself thinking — I need someone to walk through this with me personally — I would love to sit with you. I offer a free consultation with no pressure and no obligation. Just a conversation, some practical faith-based coaching tools, and a safe place to start. 👉 [Chat with Michelle] About Michelle Diercks Michelle Diercks is a Master Certified Christian Life Coach, speaker, and the author of Promised Rest and Promised Hope published by Concordia Publishing House. She is the host of the Peace in His Presence podcast and lives on a farm in Eastern Iowa with her husband Troy. Michelle helps anxious Christian women find peace through faith, neuroscience, and practical coaching tools — not from a place of having it all figured out, but from right beside them in the middle of it. She is not above you. She is beside you. Subscribe and ...
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    14 mins
  • When Life Feels Overwhelming | God Walks With You (Isaiah 43)

    When Life Feels Overwhelming | God Walks With You (Isaiah 43)
    Mar 3 2026
    Maybe you've had the phone call you weren't expecting. The diagnosis. The season you didn't choose. Maybe you're watching someone you love suffer and there's nothing you can do to fix it. Maybe you're just bone-tired from carrying more than you were ever meant to carry. Whatever brought you here today — you are welcome. You don't have to have it together. You just have to show up. About This Episode Isaiah 43 opens with words God spoke to a people in exile — people who were far from home, overwhelmed, and wondering if God had forgotten them. And before anything else, before the command not to fear, God says something deeply personal: "I have called you by name. You are mine." Not mom. Not the strong one. Not your role or your title. By your name. In this guided meditation, Michelle walks slowly and tenderly through Isaiah 43, pairing its promises with gentle breathing and grounding to help your overwhelmed heart receive what is already true about you. This is not a promise of a pain-free life. It is a promise of presence. When you pass through the waters, God doesn't say swim harder. He says: I will be with you. What You'll Experience in This Episode • Gentle breathing and grounding to help an overwhelmed nervous system slow down • A slow, unhurried walk through Isaiah 43 and its promises • Honest space for grief, loss, and the seasons that feel like fire • The reminder that overwhelm is not proof you lack faith — it is proof you are human • A closing invitation to breathe in His faithfulness and breathe out your striving A Key Truth from This Episode Isaiah 43 says: "When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." Notice — God does not say if. He says when. He doesn't promise the fire won't come. He promises He walks into it with you. "The same Lord who stood in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walks with you." Jesus did not avoid the fire. He entered it. And because He did, the fire does not have the final word over you. Not the water. Not the flame. Not the diagnosis. Not the outcome. Christ does. And this: overwhelm is not proof that you lack faith. It is proof that you are human. And you are not walking through it alone. When to Listen to This Episode • When you've received news that has turned your world upside down • When grief is sitting heavy and you don't have words • When a season of life feels like too much and you can't catch your breath • When you're watching someone you love walk through something hard • When you need to be reminded: you are created, redeemed, and called by name More from the Be Still Series This episode is part of a growing collection of scripture-centered meditations for anxious hearts. Each one focuses on a different name of God and a different passage of Scripture, pairing His promises with gentle breathing and grounding exercises. Rest from Anxiety | Bible Verses for When You Feel Overwhelmed (Psalm 91) When worry feels bigger than you can carry, Psalm 91 invites you into the shelter of El Shaddai — the all-sufficient God. A meditation for weary, worried hearts who need to set down what they've been carrying. Perfect for: Anxiety, overwhelm, and the weight of things you cannot fix. Can't Sleep Worrying? Psalm 121 for Peace at Night For the 2 AM moments when your mind won't stop. Psalm 121 holds a steady promise for restless nights: the one who keeps you will not slumber. When you cannot sleep, He is not asleep. Perfect for: Sleepless nights and the worry that wakes you in the dark. Scripture Featured in This Episode • Isaiah 43:1 — Fear not, I have called you by name, you are mine • Isaiah 43:2 — When you pass through the waters, I will be with you • Isaiah 43:3 — I am the Lord your God, your Savior Connect with Michelle If this episode resonated with you, Michelle would love to connect. She offers free 50-minute coaching consultations — real conversations where you can talk about what's going on and explore tools that might help. No strings attached. Book a free consultation Subscribe to Michelle's Newsletter Visit michellediercks.com Michelle's Books Promised Rest and Promised Hope — both go deep into the names of God and how He meets us in our most anxious moments. You can find them on Amazon. Promised Rest: Finding Peace in God's Presence Promised Hope: Finding Peace in God's Faithfulness
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    10 mins
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