Many church-going teenagers and young adults share a common predicament: the difficulty of sharing their faith. Most of these budding evangelists and missionaries say that they have a ?fire within? that could not be contained. Yet, at the same time, they find themselves weighed down by self-doubt and apprehensions. While their faith pushes them to open up and reach out to other people to share their beliefs, these young ?sharers of the Word? become discouraged buy their own lack of confidence in their abilities or ?gifts.? Being unsure of whether they are fit to do the task, they shy away and tell themselves that they are simply incapable of the enormous responsibility given by their church.
You now have come face-to-face with the realities of spiritual conviction. Your body suffers from nausea,vomiting, shortness of breath, and chest pain --- all of which are signals that something is not right in terms of your physical and emotional health. Dizziness, lack of appetite, restlessness --- these are only some of the distressful manifestations or anxiety symptoms felt by young missionaries and aspiring men and women of the cloth.
Medical studies describe anxiety attacks as psychological responses to stress which can vary from person to person. These overwhelming emotions of fear, worry and apprehension can really affect the normal activities of soldiers ? Christian soldiers, that is. Even with all their courage and bravado, they still see find it hard to cope with their anxiety attacks. Without exception, new Christians experience a roller coaster of emotions as they follow the Great Commission.
As new believers without experience in the ?battlefield of faith?, the temptation to flee from the very source of their anxiety becomes a daily struggle. Instead of proclaiming their faith the way they were trained in summer camp or in the seminary, many young missionaries backtrack and postpone their task to share their faith with other people. Psychiatrists call this the ?fight or flight? syndrome.
Sharing one's faith is always an arduous task, especially for the first timer. Even the ancient scriptures tells the story of how the prophet Abraham, the great patriarch of faith also faced anxiety. Abram, later renamed as Abraham, was a rich merchant in Ur (which is in present-day Iraq) who had all the luxuries of life. But one day, God spoke to him and gave him the command to travel to a foreign land. Abraham, like any other mortal being, experienced anxiety and stress as he tried to obey God.
However, despite the anxiety symptoms he had to face everyday, he still followed God and took his ?journey of faith.? Later, he became the ?Father of all Nations? and started a new nation that eventually occupied the land of Canaan. That nation was Israel. The lesson behind the remarkable life of Abraham is that one is truly capable of defeating anxiety and the overwhelming sense of duty if his life is dedicated in service to a Higher Power. That very same Higher Power would help even the most timid of men to become brave and secure in the promises given them by the Supreme Being.
While it is true that not everybody can attain the same spiritual heights and physical longevity that was achieved by Abraham. But all can learn from how the man called ?The Friend of God? was able to overcome stress and anxiety. His faith was tested in the fire. As a result, his convictions grew stronger, his faith was refined, and his life was totally renewed. By accepting challenges and the anxieties that naturally come as part of life, a person can exercise his faith and find a more blessed future with God.
Finally, after the rather rainy day yesterday I opened my curtains to an absolutely gorgeous day today. The lush green Alpine foothills and mountains surrounding Weiz were competing with the brilliant blue sky to catch my attention and naturally I had to get out on the road and explore. I started with a visit to the large pilgrimage church in my home town of Weiz. It is assumed that a church, more specifically a Roman basilica, was located on the hill above Weiz already around the middle of the 11th century. Due to poor lighting conditions inside the church, this building was remodeled several times, until in the mid 1700s a decision was finally made to replace the church with a new building. Construction on the new baroque style church began in 1757 and was finally completed in 1776.
The Weizbergkirche is a very imposing house of worship and was a well-known pilgrimage church, as early as the 12th century. It became a very popular pilgrimage destination in the 17th century, but since then the number of pilgrims has dropped substantially. It is the largest church in the district capital of Weiz, and a landmark that can be seen on virtually every postcard of my home town. I was particularly amazed when I walked inside the church and saw the renovated 18th century frescoes that are once again impressing visitors with their astounding colours and details since their recent renovation.
Directly in front of the church is an elevated plateau from where there is a great view over the town and the surrounding area. A sculpture called the ?Balance Beam? reminds people of the transience of life. On the southern slopes of this hill is the cemetery of Weiz which features many graves going back several hundred years. One of the most famous graves in this cemetery belongs to Aurelia Schwarzenegger, mother of that most famous Austrian export: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I then hopped into my car and drove up to the next higher hill, the so-called ?Landscha?, which also overlooks the town and has been a very popular residential area for decades due to its great views. The top of the plateau features a forest and agricultural fields and is a popular destination for joggers and bicyclists. From here I drove into the forest and turned eastwards into a mountain valley called Ponigl.
Just a few minutes outside of town, this area is nevertheless very rural, remote and agricultural. Various farms, some centuries old, are dotted throughout the countryside and still actively involved in agriculture, be it growing corn or raising cattle. The valley ends in a dead end and only forest roads and hiking trails will take you up into the surrounding mountains. One area close by is known as the ?Galgenwald? (Gallow's Forest), an area where local criminals were hanged until a couple of centuries ago. Many legends surround this area and to this day there is an area that features three stone columns that were used a long time ago for executions by the regional court.
Past the quaint village of Oberdorf I continued to my next destination: Schloss Thannhausen (the Castle of Thannhausen), an extensive country estate that was originally mentioned as early as 1177. The current version of the castle was constructed in Renaissance style in the 1500s and features a stunning inner courtyard with rounded-arch arcades. On a regular basis this courtyard is used for concerts and provides a perfect backdrop for musical enjoyment.
After a quick drive back and through the town I headed into the ?Weizklamm? (the Weiz River Gorge), a steep incision into the surrounding limestone rocks that drop vertically down to the Weizbach. Interestingly, a main regional road has been built into the rocks and is so narrow in some parts that is impossible for two vehicles to pass each other.
I filmed the entire 2.5 km drive through the Weizklamm and quite often I had to stop and let one of the many transport trucks that frequent this road pass. Mirrors in the corners help drivers see whether there is traffic approaching, and the locals are very used to driving on this narrow road in between the rocks. On top of the rock cliffs there is a hiking trail called the ?J'gersteig? (Hunter's Trail) which provides great views over the surrounding mountains and the gorge.
Past the gorge there is a fork in the road: on the left side you will reach the country village of Passail, and on the right side you continue beside the river to a small hamlet called Schmied in der Weiz. I turned right and decided to take a steep country road up to the mountain village of St. Kathrein am Offenegg, a popular tourist destination with several hotels, restaurants and bed and breakfasts.
St. Kathrein offers many hiking trails, an educational forest trail, a publicly accessible herb garden as well as skiing in the winter. Settled already in Celtic-Nordic times, German settlers moved into the area in the 11th century. A church was mentioned as early as 1295 and the current church was modified and enlarged several times over the centuries. I walked around and into this small country church which is surrounded by a cemetery and offers a beautiful view westwards towards the Passail Basin.
Both Naix & Susanne Pacher are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Naix has sinced written about articles on various topics from Common Cold, Health and Skin Problems. DrugstoreTM.com is a reputable online drug store. From sexual health to a woman's health, sleeping aids to weight loss pills, our online pharmacy offers convenient custom. Naix's top article generates over 110000 views. Bookmark Naix to your Favourites.