Here’s a recap of how things have gone these past few weeks. As I mentioned in an earlier post, for the three weeks before Christmas we dealt with a very difficult family situation, which I still cannot write about. Additionally, two days before Christmas, my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Then, we found out an x-ray he had a week ago revealed pneumonia, but we didn’t find out about it until yesterday. So, he’s had shots and is taking lots of medicine.
Meanwhile, in the midst of all this, I’ve been meditating on the words of a song written by Annie Johnson Flint—a woman acquainted with suffering. The song, “He Giveth More Grace,” talks about how God extends increased grace when troubles mushroom. From II Corinthians 9:8—“…God is able to make all grace abound to you…”
Now, and in these past few weeks, I’ve sensed an additional measure of God’s grace operating in my life. Just at the moment when I‘ve felt my heart might burst from pain, God has come through his spirit to strengthen, encourage, and console.
In the weeks before Christmas, it blessed me much to go to the mailbox and pull out a handful of Christmas cards from folks who had no idea what was going on. Still, God often used those cards to send encouragement. Additionally, God has left messages in the mailbox of my heart, some sent long ago, for just such a time as this--like Annie Johnson Flint’s words that I learned many, many years ago.
As we face a new year, I’m full of hope and expectancy, but not because everything is going well. I have hope because of God’s faithful presence, persistent love and abundant grace through every circumstance.
May your New Year be blessed and filled with all the wonder of the Mighty One.