Into the Fire

“Things” have gone along fairly smoothly for awhile here. A good season. But as is often the case, poof! “Things” erupt and the smoothness disappears. It’s subtle at first, but then it becomes blatant. “Things” go awry. To be expected . . .

As Christians, we face unpredictable trials at any given time. The enemy of our souls is eager for revenge and the destruction of our lives. It’s no secret.

This evening our mare became distressed with some intestinal difficulties. This can be very serious for a horse. Life threatening, in fact. No fun either. I first noticed the problem after feeding them their evening meal. Uncharacteristically, she was lying down instead of continuing to finish her hay. Totally not her. All was not well.

This horse has never been bothered with colic. Not in all her life. Her grain and hay were no different than yesterday or the day before or the day before that. So why today? I gave her some medication and my husband gave her a shot when he got home. My son helped keep her walking. It got dark. We had all been praying for her and finally we left her in the Lord’s hands when she no longer seemed distressed. If you don’t have a problem with praying for animals, please pray for her complete relief and that this might be an isolated incident.

Prior to this, there have been some other “things”. Not fun either. Spiritual challenges. Troublesome times. Not new. To be expected . . .

This isn’t about writing or books today. It’s about life. It’s about the Lord’s faithfulness and grace. His touch when no other works. His hope when hope seems like a dim pinpoint of light far far away. Yet it’s unchanging, unblinking, not flickering. Thank the Lord of all Creation. In our weakness, He is made strong. Praise the Lord.

Thank you, God, for watching over us, for keeping us safe, for your kindness, mercy, and hope, for your unbelievable generosity to us. You are magnificent, and we praise you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.