Oh what joy!

Oh what joy - my Savior lives! There is so much sadness around, which in turn always provides opportunity for praise, knowing God loves us and wants only the best for us. I ran into a friend today whose husband killed himself just before Christmas, he had been injured and disabled for years, he finally ended his life, his mother found him. Everytime I see her I cry, my heart is so broken for her - I have no words of comfort, "I'm so broken hearted for you, I am praying for you" I say. A good friend is fighting for his life, he has been here before, a different cancer - he survived and now there is a new cancer - "I am praying for you" I say. Another friend has a precious little boy diagnosed with a life changing and sometimes life threatening syndrome - "I am praying for you - I love you" I say. Just a couple of days ago my cousin sent me a link to a website: my cousins grandaughter was diagnosed with cancer 3 years ago and died within months, she was 1 year and a few days old. During that time my cousins wife (the babys grandmother) was fighting for her life with breast cancer, she lost that fight 1 year ago last week. My cousin himself has developed a dibilitating rare disease that he has been fighting for about 5 years now. After Kylie Janes death her parents started a foundation to support parents of children with life threatening or serious disease, the link was to a fundraiser that was phenomenal - here is the link - http://www.bmbw.com/events-and-activities/hope-slopes-2008 or their homepage to see what they are doing and to learn Kylie Janes story. http://www.kyliejanelong.org/kylieshomepage.htm. There are no words to comfort a grieving widow, a broken hearted mom, a struggling cancer patient, or my cousin who lost his first grandchild, his wife and is struggling with his own disease, but there is hope! Jesus cares for you, and He seeks to be glorified in your most difficult moments, and hours and days and years. He is not watching to see if you follow the checklist of appropriate behaviors, He is standing with open arms to catch you when you fall...... into Him, completely exhausted and worn out from trying to do the "right thing", to "be the good witness", to meet everyone elses expectations. He only wants to comfort and give peace. Press into Him, sob, scream, complain, He can take it. You will find only comfort and love . I think of when my children were small, and they were going through a hard time, I only wanted to comfort them, hold them, stroke their hair, speak words of comfort and dry their tears. Our heavenly Father wants to do the same. I have no words to help, only words of encouragement, RUN TO HIM, PRESS INTO HIM, only He can give you peace. We all have problems, maybe not all as difficult as these, but they are real none the less, the words are the same to us. Psalm 121 1-3: I look to the mountains, where does my help come from, my help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber." He is always there, arms open.....Run...run...run...into Him. He gives peace. John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." Run ....run....what joy - He is always there waiting ...fall into Him!