Posted on

Why am I so favoured?

This is the question Elizabeth asked Mary, a young, single, mother-to-be. And this is the question I too should have been asking in all my troubles over the years. Instead, I recited the wrong ones…

  • Why won’t you hurry up, God, and answer my prayers?
  • How can I survive in this intolerable situation?
  • Don’t you care, God?

But God has been helping me redirect my focus – to look for what is good. And that is hard for me to do, for everything in my heart cries out against these injustices, it cries out against the cruel behaviour of others.

So, today, I celebrated my father’s death, for 33 years ago today, he suddenly died. Derek and I shared an ice cream sundae, and rejoiced in the bravery my father had to admit that he had done wrong. We thanked God for the occasions where he stood up against wrong. We agreed that because of his severity, I grew much deeper in faith.

So, I celebrate with Elizabeth for God’s favour in hard times.

Posted on

The forgotten Valentine

Someone sent me a Valentine’s card. It said, “Your secret admirer.” But it was a prank and my teenage heart hurt. Then as those Valentine days ticked by and I received no more cards, I thought, “I must be totally unlovable.”

Years later, I met an elderly widow and she said, “Everyone one of us has a secret Valentine, someone who loves us so much.”

I knew who she meant, but to me Jesus didn’t count. Yet, this widow’s eyes sparkled. “He sends us Valentines all the time.” She showed me a heart cake she had made, with a Bible verse on top. 

I don’t remember the verse, but she was right. Jesus said, “I have loved you.” (John 13:34) And he always has. He always will.