Inspired by Our Children & Conversations with the King
I was once known as the anxious one. It was a name I carried around for most of my childhood and into my adulthood. Eventually, it turned into “hypochondriac”. When I think back on how people saw me, it’s almost like looking back at a different person.
At university, I went through a series of experiences that changed the course of my life. I discovered the love of God. You’d think this would’ve dawned on me sooner having been raised in a Christian home and school. But for me, it took until then.
I wanted to know His mind, what He thought about different subjects I’d raise, and what He thought about my thoughts. I began asking Him questions; He answered. Still today, I find that hearing Him and watching things come to pass is the most exhilarating experience.
One of the first significant turning points on this journey, was discovering what it meant to carry on walking, despite feeling the crippling fear that had held me back for years and affected my health.
I realised that I was able to practice taking risks and “do it afraid”. I started doing this because I realised He’s bigger than whatever I was fearing and that He wants the best for me. He’d know what to do, and turn it into something good, even if the worst happened. Time and again, I watched Him come through.
The voice of fear became less dominant in the areas I was stepping out in and eventually quieted. New levels of risks were presented. And again the choice was handed to me to step out or shrink back.
Fear still knocks on my door, but instead of it stopping me from venturing on, I talk to Him frankly. We have a frank conversation, and I carry on the journey. That’s the heart of The Frankie Journey—honest conversations with Jesus, and the freedom that follows.
The Frankie Journey was Born
A while back, I watched my oldest daughter, grapple with fear in ways that felt familiar. Again and again, she asked “What if?” questions.
In those moments with her, I began guiding her through a simple practice: picture the fear, place it in a box, hand it to Jesus, and then ask Him what He has to say in return.
The first time she tried this, she closed her eyes, mouthed her question, and we waited. When I asked what Jesus had said, she smiled and replied, “He gave me a letter and a flower.”
I nearly jumped off my seat. “What did the letter say?” I asked.
“He loves me. I don’t have to be afraid.” How simple and how profound.
Then came a morning when I asked Him a question that had been bothering me for a long time. “Where do I begin, Lord – with the children’s book?” He answered, and Frankie was born: an adventurous and competent young girl who is struggling with fear but meets the Great King, who turns her “what ifs” into “even ifs”.
People often wonder how to hear from Him, but we are made to. Childlike belief is all it takes. Ask Him your questions, then wait—you’ll be amazed at what you and your children hear.
Happy reading and journeying with the Great King!
