Hope in Suffering
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Not Giving Thanks
There really is no question why Dr. Ed Welch continues to be my favorite contemporary author. His blog this week is spot-on: I am Not Giving Thanks Thank you, Dr. Welch. And thank You, Heavenly Father, that you are with us in our suffering, that You care, and that One Good Day, there will be no more physical or spiritual/emotional pain. Maranatha!
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I Love to Tell the Story!
I love to tell the story Of unseen things above, Of Jesus and His glory, Of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story, Because I know ’tis true; It satisfies my longings As nothing else can do. I love to tell the story, ’Twill be my theme in glory To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story; More wonderful it seems Than all the golden fancies Of all my golden dreams, I love to tell the story, It did so much for me; And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee. I love to…
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An Inner Discipline By Which You Drain Yourself of Any Ill-Will Toward That Person
It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Have you watched the speech with your kiddos yet? (Careful, as always, to NEVER scroll down into the comments on YouTube. Talk about depravity and the opposite of the video. Blech!!) I won’t go into my whole (annual) list of things you may want to consider as you talk with your children about evil (especially the evil of racism), but I do want to direct you to an article I read this morning that not only resonated with me deeply, it also reminded me of two of my favorite Timothy Keller sermons (both of which mention Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and one of…
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My Mother Died Peacefully in My Sister’s & Stepfather’s Arms
Thank you so much for praying and for your very kind notes. My mother died peacefully tonight in my sister’s and stepfather’s arms. I arrived soon after and had the privilege of coordinating things with the mortuary service/nurses, calling my mother’s best friend in the world (my Godmother, Anne Parat—creator of my girls’ inimitable Kikis) to share the news “in person” as much as possible, driving my stepfather home and tucking him in safely … and now it is 1:15AM and I’m going to try to get a little rest before the service opportunities of the week. Thanks again for praying. I miss my mother terribly already. But I have no…
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Now We See Dimly
I thoroughly enjoyed our family’s time at the touring Broadway production of The Lion King. As expected, the music was enjoyable, the costumes and dancing top-notch, and the puppetry was truly mind-boggling. All in all, a great show and yet another affirmation of the fact that I really love musicals. But also as usual, I didn’t keep my eyes on the stage throughout the show. Whenever I have the privilege of observing professionals in a setting like this, I find it particularly enjoyable to watch the people who are at the back of the spotlight, not just in the spotlight. Because MAN OH MAN are those sound, light, and staging crews INCREDIBLE. The illusions they…
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Even Amidst True Joys, a Low Note of Deep Sorrow Resonates
It’s a strange thing to be walking through what is usually such a happy, fun season of our year (Thanksgiving, Sophia’s birthday, Christmas, New Year’s) with genuine joy—but also with deep sadness (because of my mother’s failing health). I can honestly say that I am fully present in the happiness; but an undercurrent of grief sounds constantly in my heart throughout my day. Its like a drone note on a double bass. Always there. Rumbling. You can feel it even though it doesn’t usually draw attention to itself. Sometimes the vibrations are too much and I just cry “for no reason” (really, for a good reason). Much of the time,…
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Not Bitter or Stoical: A Third Way …
A dear friend and I were visiting the other day about a sadness in her life. It’s actually a good thing that might happen in someone else’s life that is reminding her of a sad thing in her own. She was (rightfully) feeling convicted that it was wrong for her to wish this good thing wouldn’t happen to her friend; it was wrong for her to not want to pray that this good thing would happen to her friend. But the truth was, she was very sad. So what did I say? Well. Let me start with what I didn’t say. I did not respond to her suffering by telling her: “Wow! You are a…
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Confusion, Fear, and Sadness
I don’t know what to write. It is a confusing and sad time for all of us as we sit around my mother’s nursing home room, waiting for her cardiac rehab to begin on Monday. She’s scared. We’re all scared. Everyone cares about each other. Everyone is trying to do their best. But conversation is hard. My mother is physically uncomfortable and we’re all stilted in our strange, mass-produced chairs dispersed around the room. My sister is a star at being patient and generous. She’s trying to help our stepfather get on top of the financial details of their lives since my mother usually takes care of those things. And…
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When Death Comes
Death has been heavy on my heart this week. Two of my friends in Billings are facing medical crises that lead them both to consider seriously that their time on this earth may be drawing to a close. None of us knows the length of our days, to be sure. And God alone marks out the span of our lives. But sometimes, we know that we are facing medical diagnoses that, apart from God’s supernatural working, will more than likely be the secondary cause of our last breath. Such is the case with my friends. And on Monday? Someone I love dearly went home to Heaven. She had been suffering…
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Service Starves Worry (and Depression)
I can’t remember if it was David Powlison or Tim Keller (probably it was both of them) … but I have paraphrased one of their teaching points to (hopefully) repeat it to myself often and thus, engrave it in my memory: Service starves worry. In fact, I would say the same thing about depression: Service starves depression. Even in your darkest, toughest season of life, there is always some way to give yourself away.