Trust in the LORD

"The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him." (Nahum 1:7)

I used to be a counselor at a camp for abused and abandoned children. Debbie* was one of the two little girls in my care during my first year there, and she had suffered many kinds of physical and sexual abuse. She lived in a group foster home and had learned early in life not to trust anyone. Because of this, Debbie was very stubborn. What Debbie wanted, she demanded. The word "No!" was a familiar part of her vocabulary, and throwing tantrums was her answer to anything that wasn't going her way.

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Good Times and Bad Times

"Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future." (Ecclesiastes 7:13-14)

I am blessed with naturally curly hair. The fact that I can call this a blessing shows how far I've come in my perception of what God has given me. Since about 12 years old, I have hated my curly hair and have spent tons of time, money, and energy on various methods to try to straighten these curly locks. But no matter what I do, my hair eventually ends up curly anyway. Often it even gets frizzy.

I guess I've finally come to the realization that God made me this way because He likes me like this, so why fight it? "Who can straighten what he has made crooked?"

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Our Stronghold

"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never foresaken those who seek you." (Psalm 9:9-10)

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Have you ever drizzles water onto a hot skillet? Those drops dance around for several moments and then suddenly they're gone.

Living with chronic illness often feels like we're hopping around on that hot skillet, doesn't it? Aches and pains crop up in places and ways that are hard to figure out. We "dance" our way through one problem and then something else crops up. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever feel better, and then all of a sudden I realize the pain is not as intense--it has evaporated much like the water droplets on that skillet.

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"We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

I'm sure we've all heard at least one good love story. After all, people are falling in love with each other every day. I know this first-hand.

My marriage to Rick is the result of our long-distance Internet relationship. We spent months corresponding via emails and telephone calls. I even printed out all of our emails, which are now safely stored away. Our December wedding ten years ago was a wonderful evening candlelight ceremony surrounded by our family and friends. We feel very blessed to have each other, and our love grows stronger every day.

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