There was a fire in our neighborhood yesterday. Across the street from us. Across. The. Street. I never heard the siren. I met one of my other neighbors at the garbage can by the curb last night at about 10 pm and she told me the story. The house was not burned but it did destroy their back yard.  The only thing I could think to say besides how sorry I was (the fire burned some of their back yard things too) was please don’t assign me the chairmanship of the neighborhood watch. 

How could I have missed the sound of the siren? That troubled me. I faintly remember the noise of a big truck but I thought it was probably someone receiving a delivery. 

I have a couple of excuses reasons. Did I tell you I am writing a book? If I have not, I can’t imagine why I have kept that to myself. I need your prayers. Lots of them. You will not waste one prayer on me. Writing a book is all kinds of exciting and more kinds of scary. Yesterday I put myself on a publishing calendar and that includes deadlines. Oh, me and deadlines. I like the security of guidelines but when the word deadline gets added in, I start to get anxious. I’m all about peace and harmony and deadlines don’t bring peace and harmony. To me, deadlines bring stress and the expectations I might disappoint someone. Then, they wouldn’t be happy. I’m a pleaser by nature. If you know anything about Enneagrams, I’m a 9w1. I want everyone to be happy!

Another reason could be that the book I’m writing requires me to think back on times I have experienced hurt and pain. It’s good to allow God to use our pain to comfort another. Paul brings it up in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. (MSG)

How do you feel about using your hard times to help others?

Do you struggle with the urge to want to never think about those times again? If you do, you are not alone. 

Today I’m looking at the last picture I made of my Mom – Easter 2018. She had attended church for the first time since her surgery. She was so excited to see our new church building and her smile is big. About a month and a half later, she was with her heavenly Father. My word. Sometimes my mind thinks, what nonsense is that! Yesterday, I sat with my feelings about a difficult time in our marriage.

I want to encourage you and me. We are still here! We have been through some tough stuff and we are making it. And, the longer we walk this thing out with God the more victorious we are. You might think, “I don’t feel victorious.” But, you are. Every little victory counts. “The one who loves us gives us an overwhelming victory in all these difficulties.” Romans 8:37 GW

Along with those few sad feelings I had yesterday, I was reminded of God’s grace and mercy. He is so compassionate to us. For every bad thing that has happened to me, I can think of many ways He was and is so merciful. Let me leave you with this today,

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3: 22-23 ESV