Defeating Discouragement
By Lara Bode, Lisa Bode, Melody Dornink, Kathy Fellrath, Jenni McCabe, Rachel Prahst, Laura Rempel, Havilah Worden

     At some bright moment in your past, you took that life-changing step of trusting Jesus for salvation. But as the months and years have passed, has your zeal faded into a stoic resignation to yet another day’s work?
     Have you ever felt as if school will never end, and you just can’t do another lesson in algebra?
     Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the endless cycle of home life – meals to cook, diapers to change, shirts to iron, dishes to wash, floors to mop?
     Have you ever begun a ministry with excitement, and then later felt as if it really wasn’t worth it anymore?
     Then this article is for you! We pray that the concepts presented here will unlock powerful insights that each of you can use in your own life to find victory over weariness and discouragement.
     “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” – Galatians 6:9.

Casting your burdens on God
Laura:
     Are you a burden-bearer? All too often I find myself loaded down with burdens and cares that are not even mine to carry – burdens like fears, speculations, and wondering what others think of me. Isn’t it ridiculous of me to refuse to give God, the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, my load for Him to shoulder?! It simply shows my very tiny view of Him. Although there are some good burdens for us (such as concern for the lost, and praying for others), all too often, I’m carrying burdens that God does not want me to shoulder.
     1 Peter 5:7 says that we are to be “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Give your worries, fears, and anxieties to the Lord! He knows everything about you and your life, and He cares for you. Psalm 37:5 tells us to “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him….” The word “commit” in this verse literally means to “roll off onto”; it involves a transfer of burdens – a transfer of our burdens onto Jesus! He wants to carry them for us!

Lisa:
     Last August I sat on a park bench, recording in my journal the events of the previous week.
     “Last week I became weary like I’ve never been before. I was tired to the bone, emotionally exhausted, spiritually thirsty. I lost the vision for work, the zest for life, the ambition for improvement, and I wanted to just escape – to sit and veg somewhere alone.
     “Sunday I spent a few hours sleeping, reading, praying. There I sought the Lord, sought recovery, and I realized that I was exhausted because I had been carrying burdens too heavy for me. My one burden is to worship, love, and serve the Lord Jesus. That is not a heavy burden! It is perfect for me, a moment-by-moment calling to embrace not the work, but the One for whom I am working, a calling not to constant perfection but to genuine love. By His enabling, which He has promised, I am able to do His work.
     “I have been taking on myself burdens too great for me, burdens that belong not to me but to my Heavenly Father.”
     I identified three heavy burdens I was carrying. First was my own needs for energy, ability, encouragement, and fellowship. I realized that God is able – and has promised – to meet my every need! That is not my department; it is His. I do not need to stress out making sure that He’s doing His job, or worry that one day He will quit. He won’t. As long as I’m doing His will, my needs are met in Him.
     “I’ve been carrying the burden of results,” I continued in my journal. “The burden of whether or not my work will count, whether or not it will be successful.” I realized that my responsibility was to give my all, to sow without weariness. The “harvest” was of God.
     A third burden weighed on my shoulders as well. “Will I measure up with others? What will they think of me?” How silly – suddenly the joy of working for the Lord was gone, and in its place was the pressure of trying to impress everybody. How much time and energy can be wasted in a vain attempt to please people! The opinion of others is outside my control. I am responsible to please God. What people think is up to Him.
     You may be where I found myself last August. So many burdens can slip onto our shoulders without our realizing it. We can quickly become weary in well-doing, unless we daily cast all our burdens before the Lord. Our sole responsibility is to do His will. We can trust Him to handle the burdens of life. There is such a beautiful simplicity in living for Him only!
     “Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” – Psalm 55:22.

Laura:
     If you are a “burden-bearer” and would like help giving your burdens over to the Lord, here is a little suggestion for you. Take a box and label it “God’s Burdens”. Then list each burden that you know you need to roll off onto the Lord. (Use a separate piece of paper for each burden, and include the date.) Put each paper in the box with a prayer to God that you are now transferring your burden to Him.
     This is a physical sign and reminder to you of what has happened in your heart. From time to time you may want to read that list of burdens and see how God has indeed carried them for you! You will be amazed at how faithful and true He is to His Word.
     At times the temptation is strong to take those burdens back into our own hands. Sometimes we have to repeatedly give to God a burden that we keep taking upon ourselves. But Jesus says to us, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30. It is okay to be weary and tired of carrying this weight. Leave it with Jesus, and He will carry it for you!

Relying on God’s strength
Havilah:
     Has your prayer time become a chore rather than a treat? Has your faith dwindled to a mere glimmer of hope that whispers, “Tomorrow may bloom brighter”? Have you failed? Fallen? Do you have the strength to get back up and go on?
     You can’t do it in your own strength. In fact, you need to give up and ask the Mighty One to be your strength! Jesus said, “...My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness....” – 2 Corinthians 12:9. When you stop trying in your own strength and instead look to the Lord, the Hands that created the world will carry you. The Voice that flung the stars in the sky will comfort you. The Heart that died for you will see you through. All He asks is for you to trust Him, and rely on His perfect strength.
     For me, it’s easy to say that I’m trusting God, but too often I find myself trying to figure out His plans or take matters into my own hands. When I do that, it doesn’t take long before I become confused and discouraged. I believe it actually takes more inner strength to rest in the Lord and let Him take care of your situation than it does to try it on your own – but the results are incomparable!
     Think of how Abraham must have felt waiting twenty-five years for his promised son. He became weary in well-doing, and he failed in some ways. But when Isaac was born, Abraham knew it was worth the wait; God’s strength was enough to bring about the very best. Somehow, when you just give your life and all your concerns to God, everything works out! And though things may look precarious when you’re in the middle of a situation, if you keep trusting in the Lord, you’ll find out in the end that He knew best all along!

Kathy:
     “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.” – Isaiah 40:29. If we truly believe that God can strengthen us to do His will, then we simply need to ask in faith for His strength, and then press on!
     It is important to remember that God has promised not to give us more than we can bear (see 2 Corinthians 10:13), but He has not promised to give us strength to do anything outside His will! Sometimes we may be weary in well-doing because we have spent our strength on activities that are not honoring to God. We may be fatigued because we are not taking good care of our bodies by eating right, exercising, and getting proper rest. Maybe we are spending much of our time and energy on our own agenda, and then giving God the leftovers.
     Matthew 6:33 tells us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” If we are truly putting God first in our lives and seeking to serve Him, He will never fail to strengthen us to accomplish all that He has called us to do.

Focus
Kathy:
     If we go through life focusing on ourselves and constantly looking for things that will be “fun” for us, we will not have energy to serve God and others. We also will not find joy in any activity which does not suit our taste. Before long, we will find ourselves discontent and very unhappy, because there is no end to the demands of the flesh. However, if we confess our selfishness to the Lord and allow Him to cleanse us of it, there will be room for Him to pour out His love and grace into our hearts.
     Focusing on others and comparing ourselves with them is also unwise. If we perceive that they are not doing as well as we are, we become proud and judgmental. When we feel that we are farther along than other people, we also tend to become satisfied with where we are, and lack motivation to continue growing.
     If it seems that other people are doing better than we are, it is very easy to become jealous or discouraged. We must remember that God has created each one of us with specific gifts and talents, strengths and weaknesses. We are responsible to do the best we can with what He has entrusted to us; comparing ourselves with others will not help in that process! (See 2 Corinthians 10:12.)
     So if our focus is not to be on ourselves or on other people, where should it be? Hebrews 12:2-3 says, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” (emphasis added). By keeping our eyes on Jesus and seeking His approval alone, we will find the strength we need to continue on.

Finding peace in stressful situations
Rachel:
     Many times we inadvertently get caught up in the trials and tribulations of life, allowing ourselves to be swept into a stressful mindset. We can become so distracted that we forget to call upon the Lord, the Author of peace. If only we would look to Him and recognize His presence, His peace would fill our hearts! The situation that caused the stress may not have changed for the better, but by recognizing God’s presence, everything in our outlook changes. The Lord has the power to help us peacefully endure even the most unbearable situations by His grace. If we just keep our minds focused on Him, He will keep us in perfect peace. (See Isaiah 26:3.)

Lisa:
     Juggling four ministries and living in a big family, I am not a stranger to stress! Regularly I experience those moments when I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry, to scream or tense, or to do all of them at once. I think of earlier today, when five of us were trying to work in the kitchen at once (on different projects, of course) and give instructions to the younger half of the family (with several miscommunications). And I remember an early morning when I raced the clock to get the magazine to print, praying that the CD writer would cooperate and knowing that in five minutes and counting I needed to leave to teach a 2-hour class about writing classification essays, for which I felt totally unprepared.
     Stress. It’s a surface reaction, created when a myriad of whirling circumstances spiral simultaneously into our lives. The noise escalates. The timer beeps. The phone rings. But the true problem comes when stress punctures the surface and invades our hearts – and we lose peace.
     How can we maintain peace in the midst of stress? We must gain an eternal focus, a quiet heart, before God each day. Look up the word “peace” in a Bible concordance and meditate on these precious verses. Still the frantic pounding of your heart by remembering what really matters.
     Stress is a surface, temporal condition, involving things that I do. What really matters lies beneath the surface – the person I am. Am I a faithful disciple, a loving sister, a diligent worker? Am I trusting these whirling circumstances to the Lord and simply living a life of love?
     We must fill our hearts with this eternal focus, and then shut out the temporal whirl of stress that tries to shake us. When our peace is shaken, as it will inevitably be from time to time, we must go before God again, and gain a quiet heart anew.
     Remember, “this, too, shall pass.” God will continue, whether or not the phone is answered, or the lunch is on time, or the deadline is met. Our responsibility is to do our best with a loving heart. God will handle the results.

What to do when you're overwhelmed or discouraged
Laura:
     Are there days when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel? Your to-do list keeps growing, responsibilities mount, activities increase, and finally you find yourself hopelessly overwhelmed and discouraged. You are not alone! While I write this, I can see all the activities and tasks I have to do, piling up, and I’m tempted to feel overwhelmed. All of us face this once in awhile – some more than others. Often we overbook ourselves, committing ourselves to yet another project, because we feel guilty if we don’t. Eventually our spiritual life – personal devotions and spending time alone with God – begins to suffer because we are so caught up in “doing”. And that’s exactly when we become discouraged, because we aren’t having that special, set-apart time with God like we need to.
     Do you find yourself overwhelmed right now – even as you are reading this? Well, let me encourage you that there is hope! I can’t take away all your tasks and responsibilities, but I can give you some very simple, very practical suggestions.
     First you might make a list of things you need to accomplish in a certain given time. Set realistic goals of when you want to have them completed. Sometimes it helps to write things down and see how much you actually have to do; hopefully it won’t be quite as bad as you first thought! Then you know exactly what you’re up against, and can focus on completing one thing at a time.
     Secondly, you might make a weekly schedule for yourself. Even planning tentatively can be a help. Planning ahead, and just seeing it on paper, often relieves my tension and stress J.
     Most importantly, pray. Psalm 61:2 says, “When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Ask God to give you wisdom about what is important, and what to leave out. No person can do everything, so we have to choose the best. Be sure to take time each day to read His Word; that is where we get our greatest encouragement! “In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.” – Psalm 94:19.
     Dealing with these feelings of discouragement is not always easy. But I encourage you to talk to God – often! He, more than anyone else, completely understands you and can empower you to live in victory above your circumstances. “Rest in the Lord...” Psalm 37:7 tells us. To “rest” means to fully trust, and that involves clearing away overwhelmed or discouraged feelings.

Kathy:
     When I am tempted to become weary in well-doing, it really helps me to recognize the importance of my job! 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us to “do all to the glory of God.” Any job, no matter how menial or mundane, can take on new meaning if we do it with the desire to please our Father and bring honor to His name.
     One way we can please Him is by having a right heart attitude. Having a joyful attitude is a choice! It does not need to depend on circumstances or feelings. Singing praises to the Lord is a wonderful way to lift our spirits and rise above difficult situations that would otherwise cause us to feel discouraged.
     Another little secret to finding joy in our work is to go the extra mile. (See Matthew 5:41.) Instead of doing the bare minimum or thinking about how fast we can fulfill a required task, take time to think of some way to show love to the ones you are serving. This brings new life and enjoyment to the job! Even if the person we are serving does not notice or comment on our good work, we can rest in the knowledge that God sees, and He is glorified when we have given our best.

Finding your affirmation in God
Lara:
     By far the best thing I have learned in my whole life is that God loves me. It is the greatest theme in the Bible. God loves you! He believes you are so valuable that He considered you to be worth the life of His Son. Even if you had been the only one on earth who needed salvation, Jesus would still have come to take your place on that cross and die for you. You are that special to Him!
     Okay, so you already knew all that. But did you know this simple delightful truth is the key to avoiding burnout? It really is!
     When we are focusing on serving the Lord and ministering to others, you would think that people would value and appreciate us, right? Often when we’re keeping busy with “well-doing”, we expect a positive response from others.
     But what happens when, instead of receiving approval from others, we are met with a flood of misunderstanding or criticism? It seems as though people don’t appreciate you; they act as if your calling and service is unimportant. Many other times, people aren’t exactly against you, but they just take you for granted and don’t really notice the work for which you are pouring yourself out.
     If you are looking to other people for affirmation rather than looking solely to the Lord, sooner or later the approval you are counting on will fail to come in, and you will feel deflated and burned-out.
     But this doesn’t need to happen! If you have learned to find your affirmation solely in the Lord, you won’t burnout when adversity comes your way. Our genuine need for affirmation can be completely and wonderfully met in the Lord! “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” – Romans 8:32.
     When we are truly working for the Lord, then His approval will be most important to us. When we keep our focus on Him, He will always be faithful to provide the daily mercies that we need to continue on doing His will.
     “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.” – 2 Corinthians 4:1.
     If others appreciate our ministry and encourage us, that is nice; a kind word can certainly cheer us on our way! But we must always guard against working for our own personal reward – that is, serving so that people will appreciate us or think we’re such amazing people. God wants us to serve just out of love for Him and obedience to His calling. If others do not express appreciation for us, we can rejoice anyway. God sees our hearts and all that we do. If our day pleased Him, it was a complete success! What other people happen to currently think of us does not really matter, and we must not let it dictate our stability in serving God as He has called us!
     “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 15:57-58.

Setting priorities
Havilah and Melody:
     As he sat on his throne in a magnificent palace, pondering the seemingly futile tasks that compose our daily lives, a very wise old king wrote “...‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.’” – Ecclesiastes 1:2. King Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever walk this earth, recognized the uselessness of living a life for one’s own pleasure. He was blessed with the understanding to discover the key to a beautiful alternative.
     “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” – Ecclesiastes 12:13. In light of these verses, setting priorities becomes amazingly simple! God has set before us two priorities:
     1.) to fear God
     2.) to obey His commandments
     These two priorities should be like the main points to an outline; our other priorities should be as the subpoints below these.
     In a world where having “fun” is the ultimate goal, materialism is prevalent. The love of money, fame, and possessions is a powerful force that runs and eventually ruins millions of lives. But in Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
     If we set our priorities on eternal things, we will escape the ruin of materialism. Since our priorities are completely useless if they are outside God’s will, we need to ask God for His wisdom and guidance. Too often, we fill our list with things we “need” to do, and think, “Well, once I get all of this done, I’ll spend some time with the Lord.” When we finish the day, we usually haven’t even accomplished all the things on our list, and we’re frustrated that we didn’t give God any time. If we would just let Him have “first dibs” on our time, our days could follow a much sweeter path! Whenever I live a day this way, I come away encouraged by all that God did through me – and amazingly, I’ve still accomplished everything that really needed to be done!
     Imagine that you have a small empty jar, 3 walnuts, and ¼ cup of rice. The walnuts represent the truly important things in our lives, such as spending time with the Lord, visiting someone in need, praying for others, spending time with my family, etc. The rice represents my own priorities: reading my book, writing letters, playing with my kittens, relaxing in my room, etc.
     If you put the walnuts in the jar first, and then pour the rice over, it fits. You can put the lid on. But if you pour in the rice first (my priorities) and then try to put in the walnuts (those things that are truly important), you can’t put the lid on. It won’t fit.
     That is really quite profound, isn’t it? And it’s true! If you put Jesus first, Others second, and then Yourself last, (Get it, J-O-Y?) then life goes as it should. Even if you don’t get all of “your” things done, you will know that your day was focused on the right priorities, and you will know that God ordered your steps. You can trust Him with the results!
     Why is it that we struggle to “make time” to spend with our most Faithful Friend? Reading the Bible and praying each day should be second-nature to us! When we find ourselves having to work to fit God into our lives, then we need to take a good look at our priorities! Our time with the Lord is the very most important thing we can do in our entire day!
     Our relationships with family members are also highly important. I have neglected my younger siblings so many times; it’s so sad. The years will fly by, and soon we’ll be in our different homes and I’ll wonder what happened to those years when I could have cultivated a relationship with them and really spent time with them. The Lord has been showing me ways to be a part of my siblings’ lives now. I pray that as they grow older, they will remember me as someone who was there to listen to them, to cheer them up, to play with them – not as some distant person who usually didn’t have time for them.
     I’d encourage you to reevaluate your priorities. Are you spending time with the Lord? Are you making memories with your family?
     What a tremendous blessing it is to be able to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide and direct every aspect of our lives. He is the ultimate priority-setter. So hand over your “Things To Do” list, and ask Him to direct you and set your priorities.

Using time wisely
Lisa:
     Bill Borden, a Christian man who died unexpectedly young, wrote, “I figured up yesterday where my time went per week and found that about thirty-five hours are wasted somehow.” I like his honesty. Perhaps, if you and I did the same figuring, we would reach the same conclusion – or worse.
     It continually amazes me how time slips through our fingers like water, suddenly gone and utterly irretrievable. Once a moment is lived, it is lived, and never will it return. Have we embraced its priceless opportunity, or have we frittered it away?
     I remember too many moments and hours that I have wasted, and suddenly my accumulating work washed over me and I fell into a sea of weariness. Much of our weariness can perhaps be attributed to a simple lack of discipline. God has given us all the time we need to do His will. If our time and our to-do list aren’t fitting together, it’s not that He’s failed. Either we are wasting time, or we are extending ourselves beyond His will.
     Bill Borden purposed to make a change, to fully embrace the priceless opportunity of each moment, and his short life made a tremendous impact. I challenge you to do the same! Live each day to its fullest. Discover the will of God instead of chasing the world’s glitter. Seize the moment and make it work!
     Another Christian man named Jim Elliot, who also died young but accomplished great things, wrote, “Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every experience you believe to be the will of God.”
     You may be amazed at how much you can really accomplish, and how much more energized you feel, when you’re “all there” – when you live to the hilt every experience. It’s a totally new way of life – from passive plodding to active accomplishing. And it can help you overcome weariness, as you transform your wasted moments into opportunities to complete the work that’s been weighing on you. Eliminate timewasters from your schedule, and you may even find you have spare time for new ministry.
     Let’s embrace each moment to its fullest potential!

When to say “no” to opportunities
Kathy and Rachel:
     When we find ourselves weary with all that there is to do, perhaps we need to eliminate any activities that are using our time and energy unwisely. No one can do everything! There are myriads of ways to fill our days, yet not many of these will have any lasting value.
     God’s Word abides forever (1 Peter 1:23), so studying and memorizing it should definitely be a priority!
     Other examples of clearly worthwhile activities would include encouraging other believers, getting encouragement for your own walk with God, and sharing the Gospel. Serving God in “small ways” has eternal value when we do it for His glory! Prayer is an excellent use of our time, even if it doesn’t look as if we’ve accomplished anything when we’re finished. We never know what God will do as a result of our prayers!
     But in order to have time for all these truly important things, we must learn to say “no” to other things. If any commitment, however “good” it is in itself, takes away from our relationship with God, we must say “no”. Sometimes we need to say “no” to ourselves and what we feel like doing. Or we may need to say “no” to others who would like us to join them in something that we do not feel God has called us to do.
     Saying “no” doesn’t come easily for those of us who enjoy helping people. But sometimes a line must be drawn even if the opportunity is a worthwhile one. Saying “yes” and overextending myself means that I cannot possibly do each thing to the best of my ability. Trying to do too much leads to frustration and discontentment with my circumstances. Even “ministries” can sometimes have a fleshly or short-sighted focus, appealing only to our desire for fun, rather than seeking to honor God and further His Kingdom.
     Ultimately we should learn to consult the Lord with our daily plans, asking Him for guidance even in the little things of life. Pleasing God doesn’t mean signing up for every opportunity, but if we are walking closely with Him, we can depend upon Him to guide us into the areas where He wants us to serve. God does not want a cranky, stressed-out child going about too many tasks at once, but an obedient child doing the tasks He has assigned – and cheerfully! Let’s consult the Lord with our schedules, and align our plans with His! “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6.

Jenni:
     I used to feel as though I had to do everything in order to be a good servant of Christ. I was incredibly involved in an outrageous number of ministry and service projects, and then I had schoolwork and housework to do on top of all that. It was not an ideal life and my days often extended until well after midnight as I tried to juggle everything. I did my quiet times, but they were often short or dry, as prayer felt too energy-consuming. My health reflected it, as it would take me longer than normal to recover from the flu or a cold that often developed into bronchitis or something more serious. I wondered why I did not have more energy as I saw people in my church doing a lot and not seeming to tire of it. My answer came while talking to an older lady named Laurie.
     One of the things she told me was to focus on the one or two things that you are called to do. If you do many little things, you can only devote a little energy to each, and you stress over not getting much done. But if you focus on only one or two things, you will be able to put more energy into them. Laurie only did the college fellowship and also a prayer ministry. Having two things that complimented each other enabled her to give more freely of herself.
     I realized that my church had an abundance of pianists and really did not need me to be involved in that, so I stopped playing on a regular basis. Lessening my involvement in areas that either did not need me or to which I did not feel called, freed up some time for me to better focus on ministries that I am more suited for.

Health
Jenni:
     Be sure to take care of your health. You cannot be much of a light for other people if you are getting completely burned out in the process. Make sure you are eating well and sleeping well. I had a problem with things keeping me up at night, so I imposed a curfew on myself to make sure I was in bed at a good time.

Lara:
     Occasionally there may be a short-term ministry need that requires you to give and give and give without much concern for how you are holding up under it all. I’ve experienced times like these, and rejoiced to see how God supported me through His own supernatural strength. However, disregard for our own legitimate physical needs (exercise, regular healthy meals, and a reasonable amount of sleep) should not be a routine way of life for us. Keeping our bodies and minds in good health will allow us to serve the Lord more effectively!

Resting on the Lord's day
Lara:
     Why did God create the world in six days and then rest on the seventh? I believe that at least part of His reason was to set a pattern for us. While there are several differing opinions regarding to what extent God expects modern-day Christians to “keep the Sabbath”, it is undeniable that in Old Testament times, God wanted His people to work for six days and rest on the seventh day. By doing so, they experienced two significant benefits that can still be ours today if we set aside one day a week for worship and rest.
     First, by setting aside as much of our normal work as possible, we free ourselves to focus on the Lord in a more undivided way than we can during the work week. On the Lord’s Day we have the opportunity to sit back and reflect on the past week, seek God’s guidance for the upcoming week, and spend extended time in prayer and Scripture meditation. Important activities that we normally may not have time for (reading an edifying book, writing an encouraging letter, etc.) can also be worthwhile Sunday activities. In my own experience, a day of rest greatly helps to spiritually recharge me and give me the strength and renewed focus that I need to continue working for the Lord in the upcoming week.
     A day of rest provides significant physical benefits as well! Do you find yourself struggling with fatigue and discouragement? Setting aside Sunday to delight in the Lord and rest your body and soul may be just what you need! If you are sleepy, the day of rest is an ideal time for a nap. I have heard Christian doctors share the opinion that God actually programmed our bodies to work for six days and rest for one. That makes sense to me; I know after six days of work, I am usually really tired and ready for a day of rest! If I don’t set aside that day of rest before beginning the next week of work, I get further run-down and find it difficult to continue with what God has called me to do.
     Although taking a day of rest requires that you take a break from your normal work, many people (myself included) have found that we can accomplish more by working six days and resting one, than we could if we worked all seven days.
     If resting on Sunday is something new for you, I’d suggest that you work ahead as much as possible on Saturday (i.e., make all the phone calls that must be done before Monday, catch up on all the laundry, and maybe even get a head start on preparing the Sunday meal). This way you won’t feel “guilty” about resting on Sunday, and you also won’t be swamped with leftover work on Monday morning.

     “Weighted wings cannot soar.” – Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. Are you weary in well-doing today? Are you carrying burdens that do not belong to you? Have you lost focus, run out of energy, gotten behind schedule?
     There is a solution. God does not want you to be weary in well-doing! Meet with Him today; ask Him to quiet your heart and show you His solution. Lay your schedule before Him and seek His rest, His help, His peace.
     Remember – we are working alongside you. And in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. ©

Grace Enough
By Lisa Bode

He giveth more grace when the burden grows greater;
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limit; His grace has no measure;
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!
- Annie Johnson Flint

Dear Sisters,
     It’s a cold, windy February Monday morning, the kind of morning that I would like to spend snuggling under quilts with a mug of hot chocolate, a good book, and nothing to do.
     Over the dishwasher this morning I reminded Lara that she needed to write this article today; it was her turn; it was due a few days ago; we were getting down to the wire. Then it occurred to me that this might be too much to ask of her right now, and I volunteered to write the article myself. Next it occurred to me what I had just committed to do.
     What in the world did I have to write? This article lacks the extended pondering and mental drafting that I give to many others. I feel as if I am emerging from the clouds of last week, still in the middle of learning so much that hasn’t quite gelled enough to put into words. Yet one truth shines out to me, a beacon of light that has guided and sustained me through a difficult week.
     Last week a friend of ours, particularly close to Lara, passed away. Lara had already signed up to take Jonathan and Leah to a debate tournament in Ohio, a commitment she needed to keep anyway. So she drove out to Ohio Thursday afternoon and left at 4:00 Saturday morning to make it back home in time for the funeral. (She plans to write the next two “at our home” articles to make up for this one, but right now she is understandably not in the writing mood!)
     Meanwhile, at home, Lana was in three piano performances last week, and a myriad of other commitments filled the cracks in our schedule – a get-together with friends, a trip to the Kennedy Center, piano lessons, writing classes, errands.
     I felt as if a huge, black mountain of overwhelming circumstances had parked in my path. What I had planned as a busy week at home, working and writing, became a week of pouring myself out amidst emotional situations and almost constant demand.
     When a black mountain of difficulty parks in my path, my first impulse is to lie down and let it smother me. Weariness takes over; circumstances loom huge in my vision; God seems far away. I feel at my weakest, and life demands my strongest. What can I do? Is there any route to take, other than defeat, discouragement, despair?
     As I struggled through each day of last week, God reminded me of this beautiful song by Annie Johnson Flint (see above). It encapsulates His gentle dealings with me, His sweet truth and faithful presence, through not just one difficult week, but my entire life.
     His love has no limit; His grace has no measure; His power has no boundary known unto men. No matter how great our need, He grace is greater. No matter how deep our pain, His love is deeper.
     I’ve spent some time this last week thinking about death, as I have mourned the loss of our friend, a mother who battled cancer for six years. From a human perspective, death is the worst possibility, the final defeat. Death is the time of our greatest weakness, our deepest loss. Death is the highest mountain of difficulty, rugged with emotion and black with pain. We do feel like collapsing in despair beneath it.
     Yet here, the promises of God show us such a far different picture – the transparency of death, and the eternal life beyond. So different from our human perspective, death is really our sweetest victory, our greatest strength, our highest gain.
     We can choose the human perspective. We can collapse in the dust and despair beneath this mountain. Or we can grasp the key of faith, and believe, and triumph over the mountain and scale its greatest heights.
     The choice in every difficulty is ours – because no matter how scary the mountain in our path, God’s grace is enough for us to triumph over it! When our burden grows greater, He gives more grace. When our labors increase, He sends more strength. When our sorrows multiply, He multiplies His peace.
     It is through death, the darkest mountain, that we lay hold on eternal life, the greatest triumph.
     In the same way, it is through conflict that we discover God’s true peace.
     It is through weariness that we experience God’s limitless strength.
     It is through despair that we realize God’s bright hope.
     It is through rejection that we feel God’s faithful acceptance.
     It is through need that we find God’s perfect fulfillment.
     It is through a mountain of difficulty that we reach the greatest heights. Without the steep climb, we would not know the summit. Without the pain, we would not recognize the healing. Without the need, we would not enjoy its fulfillment.
     “...for when I am weak, then am I strong.” – 2 Cor. 12:10.
     When we cling to God’s promises and refuse to collapse in despair, when we grab hold of the faith to conquer and refuse to be conquered by circumstance, we’ll find ourselves at the top of the mountain, at a threshold of unprecedented growth and fulfillment.
     Can we rise above circumstances? God gives grace enough. Several times I have felt so empty, so unable, and yet the mountain stands before me to conquer, and the need is great. God has always pulled through for me, always given grace enough.
     Grace to work on my feet when my legs hurt.
     Grace to smile and love when I feel crabby.
     Grace to serve when I just want to go to bed.
     Grace to talk to someone when I would rather hide in a shell.
     Grace to hug someone when I feel like waiting for someone to hug me.
     Grace to meet another’s need and trust God to meet my own.
     Grace to get out of bed, wash dishes, and write an article on a cold, windy February Monday morning, the kind of morning that I would like to spend snuggling under quilts with a mug of hot chocolate, a good book, and nothing to do.
     Grace enough.
     “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work”. – 2 Cor. 9:8. ©

Which Pathway, My King?
By Cathy Krauter

     Diligence. Responsibility. Working heartily as unto my Lord. Reaching out to others. Helping my husband. Having babies. Training babies. Home teaching children. Building a house. Building a barn. Building a business. Adding animals. Adding a garden. Adding a pasture. Making bread. Making school portfolios. Making clothes. Fixing, sorting, organizing. Taking time to walk. Taking time to pray. Taking time to read the Bible. Taking time to memorize Scripture. Taking time to rest on the Sabbath.
     This journey has continued most of my forty years on this earth. The tasks have been many. The responsibilities seem never to end. The activities are added weekly, daily, even hourly. As a child I was busy playing, doing school, and doing activities after school. As a wife, I am busy meeting the needs of my husband. As a mother, my “business” never seems to end in the multitude of responsibilities in caring and training a family.
     As the tasks and projects continued to increase over the years, I ran faster and strove harder in serving my Lord in my little cove called “home”. Obstacles would jump in my pathway – the pathway of being diligent, completing my tasks, and checking off my lists. I strove harder, climbed higher over those obstacles if I could. I wanted to be that “virtuous woman”, that good and faithful servant for my Lord.
     But you know what? God wanted me to be a daughter of the King. So He changed my pathway, the way I thought, the way I was busy “in His Name”. He began to discipline the sinful attitudes and actions that were found in my own ways. Slowly He began pruning all the “stuff” that stood between my heart and His heart, all the things that prevented me from being the daughter I should be.
     My life seemed to change overnight. My husband was diagnosed with cancer. Surgery was next. Radiation was to follow, but we wanted a different way. Doors opened in a medical research project by a medical doctor searching for a cure through nutritional therapy. Our lifestyle changed as we focused on my husband’s fight for life. Diet was all organic, mostly fresh produce, fresh fish, no dairy, no meat, juicing, steaming, no microwave. Everything had to be made from scratch with the basic ingredients. Everything familiar in the kitchen was turned upside down. No more trips to the grocery store. The search for organic was on, and the fight for my husband’s life! His health was increasing – and then projects and overworking led to a flare-up of a cyst near his spine. Then came pain, lots of pain, loss of weight, loss of sleep, loss of work. There was no help except chemotherapy.
     Why would God lead us this way? Feelings of defeat, helplessness, and fear filled our beings, and loneliness filled in the cracks. Destruction and almost death filled my husband’s struggle for life, as he trudged through unending doses of “poisons”, and we struggled to survive the daily tasks of home and business. Then within weeks, the floor beneath my life seemed to crumble as I faced a painful ovarian cyst and began to lose sight in one eye from a rare glaucoma condition. As my husband and I lay weak in body and spirit in our home, we then lost our business of fourteen years.
     We were running the race of business in the name of the Lord, and the Lord allowed us to fall and trip and stumble, till we lay flat on our face before Him, too weak in our own strength to rise, too weak in our own thoughts to figure it out, too weak to even respond spiritually “correctly” to the Lord. We lay in life right where He wanted us, helpless, totally destitute and dependent on Him.
     He was not done with us, though. It was only the beginning of a new pathway – a pathway of waiting upon Him, being quiet, listening. Easy words – but the most challenging of all!
     My husband has been unable to get full-time work for these past two years – due to God’s mercy. He put us as a family in a place of quiet before Him. After these years of suffering and battle, He showed us that nothing – not our tasks, projects, responsibilities, activities, money, good works – nothing is to be before our love for Him and our love for our neighbor.
     This is the sum of all the commandments. Relationships, not projects, is the theme of His Law.
     How do you build relationships? Time and interest must be invested in knowing a person; time and interest must be invested in knowing our God.
     Before Christ died, He shared a critical truth with His disciples through the analogy of a vineyard (John 15:1-8). The way we serve our Lord the most is by abiding in Him – by having a relationship with Him and asking Him “to do through us”, not us striving diligently on our own.
     We are to spend the time of our short vapor of life abiding and relating with our King, not spending it with “busyness” for Him. Our King longs for our heart first, not our service first. And this is not easy, because it is “uncomfortable” and “unknown” to us. It requires faith, waiting, yielding, trusting what we can’t see. We seem to know naturally how to be busy serving the Lord, but how many of us know how to commune with our King? How many of us know how to wait upon Him, listen to Him, not for hours, weeks, or even years, but for all eternity? How many of us have come to the place where our greatest joy is found in spending time with Him?
     Daughters of this King, pray that we all may walk the pathway of abiding with Him, and not the pathway of busy serving. Trust Him – even though it seems less exciting and more unknown, it will truly be more fruitful. And you and I will grow to understand the true meaning of being daughters of the King! ©

Just a Friend: A Story
By Rachel Huffman

     “Who left the stove on?” Dad’s voice called upstairs.
     Tiffany ran down. “I did, Daddy. I’m sorry. I can turn it off.”
     “Turning if off won’t help now, I’m afraid,” said Dad. He lifted the lid of the saucepan. The soup was a burned wreck. “How many times do we need to tell you to use common sense? Besides ruining our dinner, you’ve just wasted lots of electricity!”
     Tears stung Tiffany’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly, “but I got six letters in the mail and I – I just got distracted, I guess.”
     “Well don’t get distracted while you make us something else for dinner,” Dad said as he left the room.
     Tiffany’s eyes were so full of tears she could hardly see. “I’m not perfect,” she whispered, “and I wish people didn’t expect me to be. I just made a mistake.”
*       *       *
     “A missions trip? To Kentucky?” Kyla stared at her sister Lisa. “People go on missions trips to Mexico and South America and Africa and places like that. Why would you go to Kentucky?”
     Lisa laughed. “A missions trip isn’t always to foreign countries. People need Jesus in America, too. People just like the needy mothers in Kentucky we’re going to minister to. God doesn’t think more of our bringing a foreign person to Him than someone in America.”
     “I wish I were old enough to go,” Kyla said, “but I guess I’ll just have to go on missions here in Maine.”
     Lisa nodded, smiling. “Being a light for Christ in Maine isn’t any less than being one in Kentucky. And as pastor’s daughters, we have such excellent opportunities to shine for Him.”
     “But people at our church are Christians,” Kyla protested. “Christians don’t need missionaries!”
     Lisa shook her head, “I don’t know, sweetie. A lot of Christians are discouraged and lonely. Sometimes it’s important just to be a friend.”
*       *       *
     “And if anyone is interested in hosting one or more of these young ladies, please talk to me after the service,” Pastor Harris finished the announcement.
     Dad looked at Mama. She nodded, and Tiffany’s eyes sparkled. A girl from a church in Maine, ministering at Crisis Pregnancy Centers here in Kentucky, staying at their home a whole week! Maybe she’d be around Tiffany’s age! How Tiffany longed for a friend.
*       *       *
     “Lisa!” Kyla ran out of the house, carrying Lisa’s bag. “You weren’t about to drive off and forget your bag of toothpaste and stuff, were you?”
     “Actually, I was,” Lisa laughed. “What would I do without my siblings?” She closed up the car. “All right, everyone! Want a last hug before I go?”
*       *       *
     “I can’t wait till the missionary comes,” little Alyssa said. “Can you, Tiffany?”
     “No,” Tiffany said.
     “Where can she sleep?” asked Alyssa. “I want her in my room, Tiffany.”
     “Your room is too small,” Tiffany said, “and she’ll want her own room. Mama said she’ll sleep in mine, and I will sleep with Jennifer.”
     “But your room is too small,” Alyssa protested. “You always get everything your way.”
     “I don’t, Alyssa,” Tiffany cried, “and that wasn’t my way. It was our parents’ decision, not mine!”
     “Tiffany!” Mama called. “Please speak gently to your little sister.”
     “Yes ma’am,” said Tiffany obediently. But she just wanted to cry. Alyssa, the baby of the family, thinking Tiffany got everything her way! Nothing seemed to go her way these days.
*       *       *
     “Wow, Kentucky is beautiful!” Lisa cried excitedly, looking out the windows of the airport.
     “I think I’d rather see countryside than airport, Lisa,” laughed Jessie, one of Lisa’s fellow missionaries.
     “Come on,” said Shari, the girls’ leader. “We’ve got a lot of driving to do!”
*       *       *
     Little feet hurried downstairs, and Alyssa’s excited face appeared in the basement where Tiffany was working on her schoolwork. “There’s a van in our driveway! I think she’s here!”
     Instantly, Tiffany jumped up and raced upstairs to the front door. A group of six girls and an older lady stood waiting on the porch. Dad opened the door. “Good morning, ladies,” he said.
     “Good morning to you, sir,” the woman replied. “Is this the Johnson residence?”
     Dad nodded. “I’m Dave Johnson. This is my wife Melissa and our five children.”
     The woman smiled. “I’m Shari Meils and this is my team of girls ministering here this summer. I understand you’ve agreed to host Lisa Shelby?”
     Dad nodded. A tall girl stepped forward. “Good morning, Mr. Johnson,” she said. “I am so thankful to your family for offering your home to me this week. I am Lisa Shelby. I’m happy to meet you.”
*       *       *
     “Miss Lisa, do you know I’m almost five and a half?” asked Alyssa.
     “No, I didn’t,” Lisa replied, pretending to look very astonished.
     “And I have a loose tooth, see?”
     “Why, you are really becoming a young lady, Alyssa!” Lisa said, pulling the little girl onto her lap. She hugged Alyssa and turned to Tiffany. But before she could say anything, Tiffany’s other two sisters, Jennifer and Joanna, began to talk.
     “How old are you, Miss Lisa?” Joanna asked.
     “Sixteen.”
     Sixteen! thought Tiffany. She looks nearly twenty!
     “Are you the oldest?” asked Jennifer.
     “No, I have an older brother,” Lisa replied.
     Jennifer, Joanna, and Alyssa kept Lisa busy. She was homesick for her siblings, and the children reminded her of them. “Can you drive? Are you allowed to walk on the street by yourself? Do you like to cook? Do you have pets?”
     Lisa answered them all patiently. Tiffany was quiet and disappointed. Lisa was so pretty, so tall, so mature, so sweet! Tiffany was almost fifteen. Surely Lisa wasn’t too old to be her friend. But she didn’t want to be, it seemed. Jennifer, Joanna, and Alyssa are just so much more interesting, I guess, she thought sadly.
     “Tiffany,” Mama called, “have you made the salad yet?”
     “Coming, Mama.” Tiffany got up with a quiet sigh.
*       *       *
     “Joanna, you are an excellent cook!” Mama complimented. “This bread is delicious.”
     “Thank you,” said Joanna, blushing shyly. “I had some help, you know.”
     “Well, a ten-year-old making bread needs a little bit of help, of course. But you did most of it on your own,” Mama said.
     “Mama, did you like the peaches?” Alyssa asked.
     “Yes, dear, they were wonderful.”
     “Well, Mama,” Alyssa said excitedly, “I helped Daddy chop them up!” Once more there were exclamations of praise. Alyssa smiled. She was the baby and loved being the center of attention.
     “Jennifer, want to give Miss Lisa a concert while Tiffany and I clean up?” Mama asked after dinner.
     Jennifer smiled. “Okay, I guess I’ll play this piece.” She thumbed through her book and took out her violin. “Mozart is my favorite composer,” Tiffany heard Jennifer tell Lisa, “and this piece is a little hard, but I’ll try.” The piece turned out beautifully. Lisa, Joanna, and Alyssa clapped enthusiastically.
     “Jennifer has just done so well this year,” Mama exclaimed. “She has improved dramatically.”
     “I can play ‘Rock of Ages’ with Joanna!” Alyssa cried happily. “Tiffany made a duet for us.”
     When the short piece was finished, once again everyone clapped. The little performers were very pleased. But Lisa could not help but notice Tiffany, tears blurring her eyes as she washed the dishes.
     I’m not jealous, Tiffany thought. Jennie plays violin just great! And the little girls are so cute playing duets together. I love my sisters. But I wish someone would notice me! I know my family isn’t being mean. It’s just that, well, I’m expected to do a good job. I know I’m supposed to make suppers and all that, but I – I just wish someone would say something good about me.
     How Tiffany wanted some encouragement! How lonely she sometimes felt!
*       *       *
     Lisa Shelby lay in bed at her host’s home, looking out into their peaceful backyard. What a precious family, she thought. She loved the little girls dearly already. But she had noticed Tiffany. She had heard her quiet sigh and seen her tears. Lisa, with her sensitive and compassionate spirit, couldn’t help but notice. And she quickly guessed the cause. Tiffany just needed encouragement.
*       *       *
     “Alyssa, is Miss Lisa up?” Tiffany asked her sister. “I’m about ready to serve breakfast.”
     Alyssa shook her head.
     “Well, sweetie, why don’t you go gently knock on her door and remind her it’s breakfast time?” Tiffany flipped the pancakes and began to pour orange juice.
     Minutes later, Alyssa ran downstairs, alarm in her voice. “Tiffany, Miss Lisa’s really sick!”
     “Sick?” Tiffany cried. “She can’t be!” Tiffany hurried up the stairs. “Lisa?” she called gently. “Are you all right?”
     “I think I have the flu,” Lisa replied. “I thought I had a headache yesterday just because I was tired. But I’m really feeling sick.”
     Alyssa put her little hand compassionately on Lisa’s forehead. “Tiffany, she’s awfully hot!” she exclaimed.
     “Do you have a fever?” Tiffany asked. “I’ll call Mama. She can take your temperature.”
*       *       *
     Lisa lay in bed, tears of disappointment falling slowly down her cheeks. Mrs. Johnson had just called Shari and told her that Lisa was sick. Lisa had looked forward to this missions trip so much. What a wonderful opportunity God had given her this week – ministering to the needy mothers, reaching out to them in Jesus’ love. Such an opportunity! Why had it been taken away?
*       *       *
     It was Thursday morning. Lisa’s flu had been severe during the week, but today the fever was gone. She wasn’t nearly well enough to go out, though. Why hasn’t God let me go? she wondered. Why did He take this wonderful ministry opportunity away? This whole week will go by for nothing! The Johnsons are Christians; they don’t need a missionary....
     Suddenly her words came back to her. She had told Kyla, “A lot of Christians are discouraged and lonely. Sometimes it’s important just to be a friend.”
     And Lisa thought, Maybe God wants me to minister to Tiffany this week. Maybe that’s why He sent me here.
*       *       *
     “Tiffany, honey, do you mind being home alone?” asked Mama, entering the school room early Thursday morning. “Your dad and brother are at the store, and I’m taking Jennie and Joanna to the Fosters. I can take Alyssa, too.”
     “I don’t mind,” Tiffany said, “and Alyssa can stay with me, if you want.”
     “Do you think Alyssa would miss a visit to someone’s house?” Mama asked, smiling.
     “I guess not,” Tiffany laughed. “Go ahead.”
     When Tiffany finished her school work, she went quietly to Lisa’s room to see if she needed anything. Lisa greeted her cheerfully, “Hi, Tiffany! I’m leaving tomorrow, and I was wondering if I could have the recipe for your salad.”
     “Oh, I don’t know,” said Tiffany. “I mean, there isn’t much of a recipe. I just throw in a bunch of stuff.”
     “That’s pretty creative,” Lisa said, “and brave.” She laughed. “I guess I’m kind of a stick-to-the-recipe person.”
     Tiffany’s eyes shone. So, their honored guest had noticed her meals – and had enjoyed them, too. Lisa took a sip of water. “Hey, do you want to talk a little bit?” she asked Tiffany. “I’m kind of lonely by myself up here.”
     “Sure,” Tiffany said, sitting down, “about what?”
     “Whatever,” Lisa laughed. “I guess I’ll ask you first – have you ever been to Maine?”
     “Just a bit,” said Tiffany. “We used to live in New Hampshire. We were on the very southern tip of Maine once.”
*       *       *
     “What time is it?” Tiffany asked, surprised when the front door opened, and she heard Alyssa’s voice. “Oh my! 11:30!”
     “Time flies, doesn’t it?” Lisa laughed. “I guess you’d better go help your mother with lunch. One more thing,” she said as Tiffany turned to go. “I have a violin with me. I’ve never heard you play. Alyssa said you played piano. Maybe tomorrow, if I’m better, do you want to try some duets?”
     “I’d love to!” Tiffany’s eyes lit up. With a much lighter step, she skipped out of the room.
*       *       *
     “Lisa, Lisa, Lisa!” Lisa’s little brothers and sisters jumped up and down, hugging their sister as she climbed out of the car.
     “Lisa, we missed you sooo much!” Kyla exclaimed. “We’re so glad you’re home again.”
     “You must tell us all about it!” Lisa’s sister exclaimed. “About the family, and the Crisis Pregnancy Center, and everything!”
     “We’d better let Lisa rest,” said Lisa’s father. “She looks tired, and it’s late. She can tell us tomorrow.”
*       *       *
     “I don’t know if God accomplished anything through me last week.” Lisa finished her narrative tearfully the next morning. “I wish I hadn’t been sick! It was such a disappointment!”
     She got up to get the mail. She didn’t want to cry in front of her siblings. She walked out on the sandy path to the mailbox. Inside, along with all the usual bills and catalogs, was a pink envelope addressed in shiny blue pen to “Miss Lisa Shelby.” A big smile spread across her face when she saw the flowered return address label that read “Tiffany Johnson.” Eagerly, she tore the envelope and read:
Dear Lisa,
     You don’t know how you blessed me last week. I have never had a big sister, and your example and encouragement touched my heart. I also have very few friends. I am so thankful God put you in my life to encourage and cheer and just be a friend. I was having such a hard week, and I think God brought you here to be my friend.
Your sister in Christ,
Tiffany      Lisa was shocked. She hadn’t known it meant so much to Tiffany. As she walked back to the house, happy and content, she prayed, “Lord, thank You for sending me to Kentucky. Thank You for making me sick. You have done great things through me. Lord, thank You for sending me, just to be Tiffany’s friend.” ©