The Common Thread

I cannot believe that it is the middle of November and I have not written a word this month. Not one word. It's not that I haven't had anything to say, it's just that I can't figure out which of the many situations in my life most deserve commentary. It's all just a swirling mass some days. There's the pain of impending death and loss of the my best lifelong friend. There is the joy of deepening friendship and fellowship with others who have reached out to support me during this long sad goodbye. There is the realization of a ministry that I know God is calling me to. There is conflict which continues to rear it's ugly head every time I think that the waters have finally stilled. And there is new life which I can see all around me even in the shadow of death....

In essence, there is a disparate life. There is joy. There is pain. There is darkness. There is light. There is peace. There is conflict. There is messiness. There is order. The common thread within the chaos is the uncommon grace of God which somehow manages to pull it all together, making sense of the insensible. Just when I think I have figured something out, He shows me something new. When I think that there is something I will never understand, He opens the window of knowledge letting light flow in. When I feel pressed down by the weight of all my concerns, He reaches down and picks me up. When confronted with painful conflict, He shows me how to respond. So truly, though some days I don't seem to know whether I am coming or going, it matters not, for He does. Shalom!