Wild Olive Trees Testimony of Jesus

 A few days ago I was discouraged. I went on a walk. The only person I don't feel bad about burdening with grievances is the Lord. He understands perfectly and He gives the wisest, most unexpected, and perfect advice. Whenever I am a tangled mess and come to Jesus for help, He gives me peace and understanding. When you feel his Spirit speaking to you, that is His voice to you. He is closer than we realize. Jesus is truly the Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace that Isaiah wrote about. 

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there is no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice henceforth even forever." Isaiah 9:6-7. I like the last sentence of Isaiah 9:7 from the New Living Translation. "The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!" Jesus has a passionate commitment to each of us. 

I stopped to see a small wild olive tree, a russian olive, that was reaching its branches out to the walking trail, almost like the tree wanted to be noticed. A couple years ago, I gained a love for wild olive trees after observing they have thorns. Plants with thorns are usually protecting some unique, special gifts. I didn't know wild olive trees had thorns- it felt like there was a message here. The wild olive tree reminded me of Jesus' crown of thorns, and his prayer in an olive grove for us. I began looking for wild olive trees, and nibbling on the edible little fruits that are sweet and tart. Then, in the spring, I learned wild olive flowers are yellow and shaped like a star or cross. The flowers are also sweet to eat- at least this particular variety is. 

The flowers reminded me of Jesus. Yellow symbolizes hope. The star or cross shape also reminded me of the star when Jesus was born and of the cross that He would die on for us.

A few days ago when I needed some peace and clarity, I stopped to say hello to the wild olive tree that was reaching out to the walking trail. Touching its velvety soft leaves, I looked for the thorns and didn't see them until I felt their sharp prick at the end of a small new branch. The thorns were growing leaves! Almost all the thorns were covered in a soft velvet and growing into branches with soft velvety leaves. They had grown into branches that would bear fruit.   

My heart understood what the Lord's message was: thorns don't stay thorns, they will bear fruit with time as they reach for more light. Jesus' painful crown of thorns bore fruit- the fruit is us. Jesus is our Light and the Truth. 

I thought about how thorns or trials prepare you to have more understanding for others. Jesus understands us perfectly because of all the suffering He went through—the garden of Gethsemane and His intercession for us, the scourging, the crown of thorns, and the crucifixion. He not only went through all that suffering, but Jesus overcame it, triumphing over all of it. He gave perfect love and forgiveness as he suffered. What a wonderful God we worship!

I am the recipient of blessings from trials others have experienced as well. One of our children had to have surgery at birth. The pediatric surgeon who invented the surgery has an interesting back story. He was a medical student in Mexico when his son was born with a life-threatening condition. He traveled with his baby to a pediatric surgeon in Boston, hoping that there would be some surgery or anything that would save his son. Despite the huge efforts, he still lost his baby boy, then lost his marriage too. He interned with the pediatric surgeon in Boston that he had taken his baby to see. He became a pediatric surgeon, and invented a procedure that greatly improved the quality of life for thousands of children born with challenges. He has taught thousands of surgeons his approach and techniques, and instilled something else that was new, unheard of. He tells the pediatric surgeons that he trains that they are responsible for their patients follow up care for life- so that they can learn the sequelae of the surgeries they performed- good or bad, and learn from their mistakes. One of the things he tells families is that a tragedy can become the impetus for much good. And finding meaning in your suffering makes it bearable. I am so thankful for the direction he took with his heartbreak, that it didn't make him bitter, but instead more humble and focused on helping others. 

Whatever difficult situation you are going through, the painful thorns will bear good fruit with time as you reach for more light and truth. Christ's crown of thorns bore fruit—it is you and me and the hope we have in Him and because of Him. He is our Light and helps us find our way.

God Knows Every Leaf and Every Bird

Several years ago, I was driving to work in a confused, worried state. Earlier that day my husband and I had been to the maternal fetal medicine specialists, I was pregnant. They told us of the serious problems they were seeing and the lifelong ramifications for our baby. It was fall, and the mountains were covered with large patches of trees turning orange, red, and yellow. As I was driving to work, feeling worried and overwhelmed, the thought came to my mind, "God knows each leaf, their colors, and every line in every leaf. He knows the baby you carry and every part of her and will take care of her."  I took comfort in that thought, God knows each leaf and every line in every leaf and seeing the colors of the leaves on the mountainside. It was a pivotal moment for me, where fear was beginning to be replaced with trust in God, at least in this one area of my life. That was several years ago, and our daughter is doing wonderfully, even though she is still affected by conditions from her birth. She has been taken care of by God even before she was born, and will continue to be. We all are cared for by Him. The Lord continues teaching me to trust Him more in every area of my life. 

My Dad has taught a birds class for the last 3 summers to the grandchildren. It is rewarding to learn about birds, their songs and calls, and how they nest and raise their young.  

 

How wonderful it is that God created birds in all their varieties. Some birds migrate thousands of miles every year. How mind boggling and awesome it is that God provides for birds throughout their migration journey- food, shelter, water. Each bird has unique ways of nesting and different foods they eat, and yet God takes care of all of them! Even with the changing world- the increasing pollution and building, God still provides places for birds to rest and regain energy along their journey. God provides for me and you in our life journey too- wherever we are!

While on a walk, I was thinking about how miraculous God's detailed care for birds is when I saw a birdhouse. Seeing the birdhouse of plywood and nails made me pause. The birdhouse was sturdily made but held no comparison to God's miraculous provisions. 

Nests are made by birds to fit the number of chicks they can raise and their body size, and the nest is positioned at the right height so that their young can be protected from predators but also survive their first flight/fall from the nest.  I feel like a bird that grew up in a birdhouse, and now I'm being taken care of by God, and it is so much better! Some of me misses the structures I grew up in, like the people  that knew my name, and gave me positive feedback when I came in my best clothing to church. It is different being away from that structure of support. 

Knowing that the Lord takes care of us, wants to be close with us, and speaks to us directly is a treasure, more than I knew was possible. Having a close relationship with the Lord is within our reach!

Sometimes I think that as long as I'm healthy, and my children are healthy, I'm OK. Or as long as we have a stable job and income,  we'll get through things. Or as long as I have a good group of friends or community to go through life together, I'll get through whatever comes. If my family relationships are good, then I'm doing well. Yet only God is 100% worthy of being the center of our faith, trust, and love. He is the center of our life.  Whatever we place our trust in other than God will eventually disappoint us. God finds ways and experiences to teach us that our trust should be in Him, instead of any other thing, person, or belief. 

When we face confusing, difficult situations, only the Lord has the perfect love and wisdom to give the best answer. God is who our life questions should be directed to. Other people may have special training, education, callings at church, or have gone through similar situations, but only the Lord knows everything about you and your situation. He knows every detail about you even before you were inside your mother's womb, and every experience you've had since. The Lord is who we should look to for answers. 

I have heard church leaders say, "Write down your questions and bring them to general conference, and you'll receive the answers you seek." They are standing in the way of people asking God directly, placing themselves in God's place. We lack faith, we sin way too often, we are too focused in the world and its trappings, and it can be hard to hear the voice of the Lord or his Spirit talking to us. Instead of teaching church members to look to the leaders of the church for answers; what should be taught is faith, repentance, and developing a personal relationship with the Lord. Only the Lord, and a relationship with the Lord will carry us through any challenge. Another leader asked, "If you leave the church, where will you go?" The question itself reveals a lack of faith in God. We can all go directly to our Creator, God, to Jesus without intermediaries. The one who created the leaves and the mountains, and who provides for each bird is anxious to talk to you and help you directly. 

I am thankful that people find peace and comfort wherever they can in these difficult times, in a church, outside in nature, or in music. We all need more peace and guidance. If where our peace and stability comes from has anything that isn't true in it, it will crumble and fall eventually. Jesus is the only one 100% worthy of our faith and trust, and being the center of our life. Jesus waits for us to come to Him directly- the source of all truth. He has given everything to bridge the gap between us. No one is more invested than Jesus is in your happiness and growth. He said, "I am the Way, the Truth, the Life, no one comes to the Father except by me." John 14:6

Passover Thoughts

I went with my daughter on an elementary field trip to a farm. One of the activities was watching a sheep get sheared. The sheep didn't fight back, it was as if the sheep knew its shearing was necessary. The sheep submissively allowed itself to be flipped from one side to the other on the ground, while hundreds of children and teachers watched, chattering away indifferently. Seeing the sheep, Isaiah's words about Jesus came to mind, "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Isaiah 53:7 Jesus was the strongest of us all, yet gave himself a sacrifice for us.

It is interesting that Jesus is the Lamb of God and also our Shepherd. He knows about being a lamb and about going to slaughter. He knows about afflictions and sorrows. He knows how to counsel and help us because of what he went through for us- the perfect Shepherd. 

"For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned- every one- to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:1 ESV

Everything wicked and terrible found its complete opposite and answer in Jesus. Jesus turned upside down the evils that were done to Him. He also turns upside down the evils that we may experience.  Unlike the world that wrongly judged and condemned Jesus to death, Jesus did not come to condemn, but to save- to give new life.  Instead of facing a trial of false accusations alone, like Jesus did, Jesus is our Advocate before the Father. He pleads for mercy for each of us with his own life- though there's plenty we've done wrong and could be accused of. 

Instead of giving us the rightful punishment for our sins, He takes our pain and punishment to bear himself. He took on himself the consequences of our sins and gives us freedom and a new life. He is merciful to those who believe in Him and follow Him. He is full of love, light, mercy, and justice. 

When Jesus prayed, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven," He was the beginning of the answer to that prayer.  Jesus brought the Father's kingdom and will to earth through his selfless sacrifice for us. In Jesus' humble willingness to take on himself our sins and forgive us, we see how Heaven operates. It is entirely different and opposite from the selfishness, pride, and evil corruption so present in our world and its leaders today. Jesus is our perfect example. 

Last fall I was making grape juice. The grapes went into the process perfectly shaped, beautiful blue globes full of sweet juice. When they came out, they were entirely spent, all the juice had been taken out of them. Jesus told us about grapes and wine, to tell us how far his love for us would take him.

At Jesus' last Passover, or the Last Supper, Luke records the following, "After supper, he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you." Luke 22:20 NLT

Jesus knew the terrible ordeal ahead of him. His reassurances and explanations to the apostles were beyond their comprehension until they had witnessed the Lord's death and miraculous resurrection. By the time he had suffered through Gethsemane, the scourging, trial, and crucifixion, Jesus had given everything he could for us. He was entirely spent and completely perfect in his love for us and his Father. 

Isaiah compared Jesus' sacrifice for us to treading the wine press alone. 

"Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save." Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress? I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments and stained all my apparel. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come. I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me." Isaiah 63:1-5 ESV 

(Edom the unbelieving nation southeast of Jerusalem, typifies the world in its contempt for the promises of God. Bozrah is Edom's capitol city)

"Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me enough to die for me, oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me." The song, "I Stand All Amazed," captures many of our feelings. 

In our mind, we know the Lord gave his life for us. Yet when challenges come, feeling distant from the Lord, and maybe forgotten is so easy to fall into. The Lord compares our relationship to him as that of a bridegroom and bride- close, protective, watchful. 

It is instructive to see pairs of geese or ducks, and how loyal and protective they are to their partner. A few times I have observed male ducks standing on guard, and protecting their female duck while they eat. They stand watch- looking in all directions, ready to warn of any danger while their mate has her head down, eating. It is tender to see so much courage and dedication in a small duck or bird.

A few days ago,  I was walking and thinking/praying, wondering what to do about personal challenges.  I was feeling off and a bit scattered, and I doubted my ability to receive an answer to prayer. I saw 2 Canadian Geese on my walk. Canadian geese squawk to coordinate their movements as they fly, but this time, they weren't moving; they were mostly standing in one place, and one was squawking at the other. They were just a few feet apart- one on a tiny hill and the other just below it. I wondered what message the goose on the little hill was trying to communicate to its partner below; it was obviously standing guard. The other goose looked relaxed, although it couldn't see the other one. It had its head down, eating young spring grass. As I watched them for a minute, wondering what their squawking communications meant, the thought came, "It means, "I am here. I am close by." As those words came into my mind, they hit my heart. It felt like the Lord's message to me. The challenges are there, but the Lord is close by watching over you and me, and it will be OK. He speaks to us not because we have earned it, or are worthy, but because of who He is. He is our Shepherd. 

Jesus stands watch over us- He is much closer than we can see. If we are listening, we'll hear his reassurances that He is near, He is close by and protecting us. How much comfort Jesus' presence brings! The geese standing watch for each other also made me think of when Jesus asked his disciples to stand watch while he prayed in Gethsemane. How much Jesus needed someone to stand watch with Him that night as he prayed and made intercession for our sins. He must have known the terrible events that lay ahead of him and would have drawn comfort from the presence of his friends. Though Jesus was left alone when He needed it most, Jesus is always willing to walk with us and guide us through our challenges.

Worldly chaos and trouble increase, but we can rest in His care- knowing Jesus is watching over us. The Lord will send encouragement and reassurance that He is near. Having given all for you on the cross and in Gethsemane, Jesus is close by, still loving and protecting you. We find many personal reminders that our Lord who loved us enough to leave his throne on high, is still close by and aware of every doubt and trial in our lives. His love for you has not changed- you were worth it to Jesus at the cross, and you're still worth it to Him today. 

"All heaven will praise your great wonders, Lord . . . For who in all of heaven can compare with the Lord?  . . . You rule the oceans. You subdue their storm-tossed waves. . . The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours: everything in the world is yours- you created it all.  . . . Powerful is your arm! Strong is your hand! Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Unfailing love and truth go before you. Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation. They exult in your righteousness. You are their glorious strength. It pleases you to make us strong. Yes, our protection comes from the Lord, and he the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king." Psalm 89:5-18 NLT

Peace in the Fire

Whatever you are going through, the Lord knows how to help you, and he delights in being invited to be part of your life. When others don't know or understand all that you face, the Lord knows and is waiting for you to ask and invite him into your life and challenges. In Him, we find our life's answers and joy. The moments that make you wonder what good could ever come of this, God will make something good out of it. He is amazing at weaving our life story into something beautiful. 

Part of why I write is because I need reminders of God's love. In the working, waiting, and praying for God's help, it helps to remember that the Lord has always come through. Every time!

My disclaimer is that we are a regular family with plenty of ordinary problems. There is nothing special about us, other than that God loves us, like He loves you- and it is an amazing kind of love.  His love is there for you and me, He never wavers. I tell of his miracles because I know He has been there for us and will be there again. 

When our daughter who needed several surgeries was 3 years old, an herb started growing in our yard, outside our front door. This beautiful rosette was special I could tell, but I didn't know what plant it was. That summer on an herb walk, I learned this was mullein, and one of its uses is to help the conditions our daughter was born with. I was so thankful the Lord put it there, right outside our door for us to learn about and use. Not many herbs taste good, most are bitter, and she was a toddler asserting her independence on what she would eat. Babies with special needs come with a fighter spirit, and she definitely had that. I knew giving her an herb by mouth wouldn't work.  I asked the Lord how to use the mullein and he told me I could put the herb in her bath, and pray for it to help her.  She had a bath every day after her medical care. My daughter and I collected a soft mullein leaf and a few flowers for bath time a few times a week, it was like a little toy boat to her. I would kneel outside of the bathtub and thank the Lord for her, for His love, for the mullein, and ask the Lord to help her fully enjoy all the good things in life. Without me saying anything, our daughter would kneel in the water, and join her little hands to mine as I prayed. This continued for a year or two, and I believe it did help. Bathtime prayers were special.  Recently, I was on another herb walk and the teacher said putting herbs in baths is one of the best ways to give children herbs. I smiled, because that's what the Lord told me to do with the mullein years ago, I had not heard it taught anywhere else before. I will return to the mullein and the bathtime prayers toward the end of this story.

When our daughter was first born, she needed some medical tubing, it had to stay in place for the first year. If it was pulled out, it would mean a visit to the emergency room at the children's hospital. After the surgery where the tubing was placed the day she was born, one doctor saw the picture of our family taped to her incubator. He said, "She has 5 brothers and one sister?! You're going to have to figure out a way to keep that tubing safe!" Each nurse seemed to have a different idea of how to take care of the tubing. Contradicting suggestions from the nurses about how to handle the tubing, let me know that this was rare enough, they didn't really know.  A nurse reassured us, "You will figure this out." Tucking the tubing into a zippered pajama during the cold winter months when she wasn't mobile yet worked.  But summer was around the corner and footsie pajamas wouldn't work in hot weather. Praying about how to keep the medical tubing secure and safe in summer temperatures kept me up many nights. I wanted her to be able to enjoy the outdoors in the summer, along with the rest of our family and prayed to know what to do.

One day as I was pulling clothes out of the dryer, and holding a onesie in my hand, the Lord gave me the idea to add a pocket to a onesie, they were already a part of her clothing. For a couple days, I thought about adding a pocket to a onesie, it would need to be secure, with something like snaps, but also soft, stretchy, and breathable. A few days later, again while doing laundry, I felt the Lord show me that if the bottom part of a onesie was cut up and sewn to make a pocket, the snaps would serve as the secure opening/closing of the pocket and keep the tubing in place. We made a pocket, sewed the pocket onto another onesie, and it worked. With 7 children, we had a lot of onesies, so I wouldn't need to buy anything. The pocket onesies became her everyday clothing. I was beyond thankful for the Lord's help,  I knew the idea had 100% come from Him! Our baby was getting more active and figuring out how to grab and pull on things like the tubing. The pocket onesies worked great, it helped me feel at ease about our many children holding our baby, and the tubing never got pulled out accidentally. When other people didn't know what would work, the Lord knew and helped us. He does that over and over again for us. What a loving Father he is!

Our church friends and family helped us make pocket onesies for the different sizes she would need as she grew quickly that first year. Every day when I put her clothes on her, I remembered that Heavenly Father had helped us figure things out and that our friends had helped us. After the first year and a half, she no longer needed tubing or special clothing, she had gone through the repair surgeries. Fast forward a couple years, the parent support group at our children's hospital was making gift baskets for new parents of children with similar conditions. The surgeon's office asked if we would bring a few of the pocket onesies for the new parent baskets. My wonderful neighbor helped me make them this time. I put butterflies on them, with the words "hope" and "love" on the butterfly wings. 

The day when we were finishing the onesies, for our daughter's bathtime prayer, where we put mullein leaves in the bathwater, we prayed for the new babies with similar conditions. As I thought of the new babies and families, I remembered what we had been through and knew the new families would face many of the same challenges. Learning about diagnoses we had never heard of before, and hoping our little baby would be able to still have a good life. Scary infections,  difficulties with dressing changes, ordering and praying for boxes of medical supplies to arrive before we ran out, many hours on the phone arguing with insurance over medical bills, multiple surgeries and hospital stays, and taking care of our children at home while we were at the hospital, it felt overwhelming many times. Family relationships would change out of necessity, and work demands would have to be adjusted. Very little would be smooth sailing. Only the Lord knew how to get through it all. The Lord helped us in many little and big miracles. He got us through it- every single worry was taken care of and more. The Lord will take care of these new babies and their families, as he has taken care of us. Our daughter saw my tears flowing freely into the bathwater as we prayed for the new families and their babies. The tears were for what the new families and babies had ahead of them, and also tears for what we had been through. She began pouring drops of the bathwater mixed with my tears on top of my head, holding her little hands on the top of my head as if she were giving me a blessing. Silently, without saying a word, she held her wet hands on my head for several seconds. After her bath was done, I was folding the onesies and praying again. For a split second, I saw these babies as spirits coming to earth. These children had the effect of an explosion of light and love. It was like an atomic bomb powerfully rippling outward in all directions with beautiful light, love, and clarity. Their willingness to face their specific challenges brought so much light to everyone around them. That love and light washed over me, and I felt a deep, deep peace. The Lord is working in the challenges, they are not in vain. Even in the overwhelming difficulties, He is working in our favor. He took all my worries, grief, and frustration- and replaced them with his deep peace that everything would work out, and He would take care of us. A knowing that He had been there for us, loving us through every difficulty replaced any sorrow and tension I had felt. 

Later that same day of the bath time prayer for other babies like our child, we were put on pre-evacuation alert. Forest fires close to our home were growing rapidly,  and by afternoon it was a mandatory evacuation. We had a few hours- that was a big blessing. Some people in the path of wildfires only have a few minutes. We gathered our children, and a few belongings, along with the special onesies and medical supplies, and evacuated our home that afternoon. The peace the Lord gave me earlier in the day carried me.  My normal reaction would be fear and stress, but the Lord helped me understand He would take care of us as He has in the past. He knew what I needed before I did. I felt unusually calm as we gathered our family and drove away from our home with the eery darkness of smoke and fire growing on the mountain behind us. I have wondered since if loving and praying for others is part of having Jesus' peace.  

It was interesting watching our neighborhood pack up, some of the people that we thought would be in a panic were peaceful, while others were understandably so overwhelmed. During the 10-day fire evacuation, there were still moments of worry, but the Lord took care of us 100%, and every need was met. Our family was so kind, generous, and willing to help. One of my sisters bravely drove over to help us pack up and evacuate. Another sister thoughtfully bought a birthday cake and pizza to celebrate my son's birthday which was that very day. We stayed at my parent's home and we felt in their kindness the Lord's love. The timing worked out, they were on vacation. My brother took time off his busy work and family schedule and brought us dinner. Friends and family I hadn't heard from for years called to see if we were OK and offer help. We were so thankful for the firefighters who stayed behind and fought the fires. There were miracles in the fires too, the fires didn't advance and destroy our little town as they could have. The wind was blowing towards our town, and there were plenty of dry trees and fuel in the path of the fire but somehow the fire turned away from our town- it was a miracle. The prayers of our community were answered. We came back 10 days later, expecting severe smoke damage, but were surprised to find everything was OK. We changed the air filters and vacuumed the carpets, but our home was OK. The mountaintop where the fire stopped unexpectedly was renamed Miracle Mountain. 

During the evacuation, we were the recipients of much love from neighboring communities- they donated all kinds of items for the evacuees- towels, food, water bottles, hygiene items, and even pet food. There was a warehouse full of donated goods, organized like a store- with aisles, and pallets loaded with useful items. We were doing OK, but our neighbors told us we had to go see the donation center. When we arrived, we were welcomed by volunteers, who gave my husband and I a shopping cart, and asked us to please fill it up. It was a sacred feeling to see so many donations from our neighboring communities and to be on the receiving end of their love. We took food, toilet paper, and towels- which we had forgotten to pack. I have two cousins who lost their homes to forest fires. My heart goes out to those whose homes were in the path of forest fires that did not stop, whose homes were destroyed, despite the prayers, and the love present, and who are still rebuilding several years later. These are life changing events for sure. 

We don't know why things happen, but we know that in the end, God works the challenges to bless us. He is there- in every challenge, in every trial. He never leaves us alone! Even in the difficulties He is working to bless us. Praise God for his wonderful love and care! There aren't enough words to tell how wonderful and loving our Jesus is! Have you felt the Lord carrying you in your trials?