Healthy Living

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Making Burdens Light
© 2009

by

Stephen A. Peterson


As she traveled on her first tour to Iraq, Air Force Sergeant Karen Krug confided her concerns to her dormitory mate, Sergeant Debra Austin. “I’ve discovered that I have been driven by fear for nearly three months. So what I’ve decided to do is to fast. No, I’m not going to give up food and liquid. I’m going to give up fear instead.”

Sergeant Krug’s concept fascinated Sergeant Austin. She never thought of fasting as anything but giving up eating. While in route to their overseas duty station, Sergeant Austin found in Isaiah 58 that God did not mean for his people to only refrain from food, but to change their behavior. She then came to understand what Sergeant Krug had learned through her Biblical reading and study. Because she too had fears about her deployment to Iraq, Sergeant Austin decided to adopt Sergeant Krug’s fast plan as well.

Sergeant Austin could not recognize all of her anxieties, so she chose four fears she knew caused her the greatest stress. Then she wrote in her personal diary a pledge. “Almighty God, on this day I will worry not about being in Iraq, or about if I’ll be able to go to college, or about having enough money or about leaving my parents, brothers and sister behind.”

After reading her pledge daily for roughly three weeks, Sergeant Austin slowly began giving her fears to God. She noticed that as she began to confide more in God even her small often nagging fears began to disappear. Life without worry seemed to give Sergeant Austin more energy and she was more at ease with everyone around her. Her peers found her to be more helpful as did her commander. In her off duty hours she was able to complete online college courses. She was able to complete 24 hours of college work before she left Iraq. Upon her completion of her overseas duty, Sergeant Austin was able to save more than $7,000. Sergeant Austin was able to interact with her family on her computer website generally two times a week.

Sergeant Krug’s idea for fasting helped Sergeant Austin remember that no matter how stressful situations may seem, God is ready and able to remove burdensome fears and the stress life brings with living.

Like Sergeant Austin, God is waiting to bless those who submit their fears and stresses to Him.

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