“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

We are a very fortunate family that has much to be thankful for, but 2018 was a rough year.

It began with me in a new job, working many months of 12 to 15-hour days to bring a project to completion under unreasonable circumstances. The morning after project launch, I had a small breakdown resulting from exhaustion, disappointment and relief.

Work finally stabilized in July, the month in which our then 12-year-old son had a routine check-up at Children’s for a condition he’s had since birth. The exam identified a concern, which led to a brain MRI.  We were shocked to be ushered straight from the MRI to the Emergency Room, where we told of serious issues present in our son’s brain. A bumpy 18-month road was ahead with more MRIs, cognitive and vision issues, chemo drugs, side effects and finally surgery.

In September, just a couple of months after the ER visit, fire destroyed our 3 ½ year old home and almost all of our belongings. Its charred and moldy remains were finally razed three days before Christmas leaving an empty foundation on which to rebuild. 

What did we do to deserve these things? We could not comprehend how this all could be part of God’s greater plan. . . but thankfully knew to leave it at that and simply trust in Him. God “put up the guardrails” to keep us on the path to better times. We view those guardrails as the gift of others, and the gift of wisdom -- a lesson on boundaries, a skilled neurosurgeon, enveloping support from family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers in response to our fire, and with it, an amazing lesson in the power of community. Was it hard to get through?  Of course.  But we got through, and are now on a smoother path with a special wisdom to carry with us on our journey. A “straight path” doesn’t mean one without bumps or hard times – but when times do get tough, with God’s guardrails, we can get through. 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, when hard times fall, help us to remember to trust in You with the knowledge that You will be with us, and provide what we need to get to better times.