"Charles Spurgeon once said that when a jewler shows his best diamonds, he sets them against a black velvet backdrop. The contrast of the jewels against the dark velvet brings out the luster. In the same way, God does His most stunning work where things seem hopeless. Wherever there is pain, suffering, and desperation, Jesus is. And that's where his people belong--among those who are vulnerable, who think nobody cares. What better place for the brilliance of Christ to shine?"
-Jim Cymbala "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire"

I read this last night as I was drifting off to a restless sleep that was virtually pointless. Cori asked me yesterday that when I look back on this year, what do I think God was trying to do? At the time, there were people around who were listening in that I didn't really want to hear my answer, so I shrugged it off with some lame reply. But her question haunted me for the rest of the night and even into this morning. I tell my kids almost everyday, "I don't know the mind of God and I will never claim to know what He is doing, I just know He works in mysterious ways!" I'm not going to lay my heart out on the line here either because I know that I don't have an answer and the answer I do have isn't meant to be written for the whole world to see. But I do know that God let's things happen in our lives to 1) Draw us closer to Him and 2) so that we can share our experiences with brothers and sisters who walk the same road to comfort them and maybe even give them a bit of guidance. Others that I know have undergone a far harder year than I have and are still walking through it. For me, I'm now picking up the pieces and walking forward step at a time into an uncertain future that I know full well my Maker holds carefully in His loving hands. The pain, for the most part, is over for me. But I guess for those who are still walking through it, there is the hope that Jesus is there beside you. As I learned, He will never leave or forsake you. (Ok, so it says it in the Bible very plainly, but I learn things the hard way more often than not!) As a brother of mine said, "I will always have a friend in Jesus." And in the hard places that we walk through...His love and mercy and grace and power are shown all the more clearly.