From the other side (#10)

[Rita]

I praise God thru this storm. His promise is to give us what we need when we need it. Nothing is ever said about us going thru life unscathed, but He does say that He will walk with us and that we will finish strong.

I hope and pray that you all continue finding the you that has been hidden or lost in your trial of MLC.

Have been doing this too, and grieving how long I allowed my H to make me a shadow of myself. Have you listened to Tim Keller's sermon on Daniel 3? I returned to it this week and it has been helping me a lot to surrender myself to letting God use my suffering to refine me, to pray for a shift in my circumstances, but, if no change can come right now, to trust God to use it to cultivate some fruit in me.

I was really glad to see your post, it was so nice to get an update.

I would be careful about deciding how it has to be if W comes back. I am sure that if she does come back, and you accept her, it would likely be in a way that you didn't expect and that might look wrong in some way. In other words, to open yourself to God's will and surrender your own notions of how that could happen. I don't know if it will happen or if you will want it to happen, but if you allowed it, I just think you should surrender any ideas you have of what it would look like. Gordie being a great example of that!

I wonder if you ever made it to my friend's restaurant, the Red Oak.

I'm taking a break for Lent, but sending you love and prayers.