What gives me the most hope every day is God’s grace; knowing that his grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face, knowing that nothing is a surprise to God. ~Rick Warren
Things happen in every person’s life that are hard to understand and hard to accept. Death doesn’t always come at the end of a long life, but sometimes jumps in and grabs a person in what seems to us to be the prime of life. Accidents do that all the time, stealing young people from us. Cancer does it too. And other illnesses.
Our family has been slammed with two of those sudden deaths of much loved family members we thought would have many more years with us. Both were in their forties. One passed after a massive heart attack in April. The other from complications after fighting off ovarian cancer. She did the chemo. We hoped she was in remission. When she found out the cancer had returned, we were still hopeful new treatments would give her more time, but then she died suddenly before those treatments could start. Both Shawn and Julie were much loved. Both had families that are distraught at their passing. Both loved to laugh and tell stories on themselves. They were so fun to be around and so we know heaven is a happier place now. But sadness makes our hearts heavy. And yet we can look toward the future with hope. Always hope.
I place no hope in my strength, nor in my works: but all my confidence is in God my protector, who never abandons those who have put all their hope and thought in him. ~Francois Rabelais
That’s why sometimes we need a rainbow to remind us of the Lord’s hope.
God’s mercy and grace give me hope – for myself, and for our world. ~Billy Graham
Giveaway
I’m still giving away one of my books (winner’s choice) each week for three more weeks. The first winner is Melissa. I’ll be getting in touch with her via e-mail. Now I know this wasn’t an upbeat post, but it was what was on my heart and what I felt when I saw the rainbow late yesterday evening. So tell me do you stop to look for a rainbow at the end of a storms? Any comment will get your name in a drawing for a book. I’ll draw a new winner next Sunday. I always enjoy seeing your comments.
As always, thanks for reading.