Tuesday Update: 06/20/06

I read a devotional last night that really touched me, so I thought I’d share. It talks about faith.
‘Faith is not based on what I think He will do for me. My faith is based on what He has already done for me. That has to be the bottom line of our faith…It is to put everything, rest everything based on that which Jesus Christ has done for you and me.’

Throughout this experience I have felt my faith grow and change in many ways. I could not have imagined that I would have the opportunity to rely on it so heavily at this point in my life…but I am so very grateful for it.

Today I attended the funeral of my Step Grandfather, Wendell Byrnes. He had only been married to my Grandma Maris for 6 years, and I never really had the chance to know him in a very personal way. During the funeral service, however, it was very touching to listen to the accounts of his bravery and courage during his military service, his sense of humor, and his kind and generous ways. I do believe that God brought Wendell into my Grandma’s life for a reason…and I’m sure he was no doubt very grateful to have such a wonderful woman by his side for the twilight years of his life. At one point the minister touched on faith…and the ‘peace that surpasses all understanding’, which comes from God. He said that going through trials in life with a sense of peace and knowledge that in the end it will be ok, is a gift from God. He repeated it again…KNOW that this is a gift from God. There have been several times in recent months where people have seemed amazed or impressed by my ability to stay the course during this difficult time. I have often said that the strength I exhibit does not come from me…it is impossible for me to explain how I do it…except to say that it is a gift from God. And for that gift, I am truly thankful.

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