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What happens when the child you love suddenly can’t face the day—and the usual fixes don’t work? We open up about a mother’s unseen caregiving: guiding her son through anxiety and depression after a cross-country move collided with the uncertainty of COVID. The story moves beyond clichés, touching the raw places—shame when friends don’t understand, judgment from well-meaning people, and the weary loop of doing “all the right things” without a breakthrough—until a quiet yes to counseling, community, and a carefully chosen low-dose medication turned the tide.

We talk candidly about how faith and mental health care can work together, not against each other. You’ll hear what it looks like to advocate at school, track real progress, and hold steady when improvement comes in fits and starts. The spiritual arc is honest and personal: praying on the closet floor, realizing God loves the caregiver as much as the child, and releasing control with the words, “I’m writing his testimony—stop trying to steal the pen.” Along the way, small markers of hope begin to shine: a safe church home, notes from attentive teachers, an eighth-grade tribute to kindness, and a seventh-grade “Waymaker” testimony that reframed the pain with purpose.

If you’re navigating child anxiety, caregiver burnout, or the gray space between prayer and practical help, this conversation offers tools and comfort: how to discern when chemistry is part of the problem, why persistence in seeking support matters, and how a simple nightly gratitude practice can re-anchor a family. We also share Shelli’s upcoming Bible study, “Rise: How to Get Back Up After Life Knocks You Down,” built on Ezra 10:4 and designed to help you take the next faithful step from the valley to solid ground.

If this spoke to you, follow the show, share it with someone who needs hope today, and leave a review so others can find these stories of quiet, steady resilience.