Of late, I’ve been observing the beauty of nature: the vibrant greens of the trees and grasses; the lovely shades of yellow, orange, red, and purple in the flowers; and the hints of blue in the pools and fountains. Soon fall will bring new shades of color to plant life—and what a beautiful time of year it is. As I take a deep breath of fresh air, I am indeed happy to celebrate the life God has given me. I am glad to be alive!
Life is not perfect—for any of us. Some face illness and loss of a loved one. For others, loss of a job or mounting medical bills have them scrambling to bring in enough income to cover bare necessities. It is easy for our emotions to take over during times of struggle: fear, uncertainty, questions of “why”—Why me? Why now? Why?
A lesson I’ve learned during times of struggle is to simply trust in God. Paul said in Acts 17, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. … He gives to all life, breath, and all things. … He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being” (24-28, NKJV). A close friend, who is in the struggle of caring for a loved one dealing with disease, recently told me, “It’s tough. I don’t know how people cope without God.”
There are days when trusting God does not come easy. The enemy of our souls would like nothing more than to weigh us down with questions, depression, and defeat. But we are daughters of the King of kings! We are not alone! God is with and in us. Because of His promise to never forsake us, we can draw strength from His presence on the toughest of days.
In good times and bad, we can praise God for giving us life. Look up! Let’s count our blessings and celebrate His goodness in the life He’s given each of us.
Melody Reever, Editor