"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."  Isaiah 40:31

When you are young you have the feeling you are pretty invincible. Nothing bad will happen and shake your world. You go through a lot of the time uninformed about what has happened in adults’ lives around you. Then one day something changes. For me it was the illness and death of my Grandmother when I was sixteen. It changed a lot of how I viewed the suffering of others. Grandma’s best friend, Emma, took my hand and led me to the casket and held me tightly saying “It should have been me.” That shocked me. I did not understand why she would say that, and it would be many years until I felt that same way about someone’s death, but I never forgot her pain. We returned to our active church life, teaching Sunday and Bible school, singing and playing instruments.  My mother participated in burning the mortgage on the new addition to the church and a few short months later she fell ill and died, succumbing to the same cancer (gall bladder) that had taken her mother. My grief was deep and devastating. I was eighteen, my younger sister only eight.

I stayed home to help my father with my sister and found comfort in church and friends. It is funny what you remember in times like those. The pastor’s wife, Sarah, made a delicious coffee cake for us. When I asked her for the recipe, she said “oh, it’s simple, even YOU will be able to make it.” I was offended. Although only 18, how did she know what I baked or if I even cooked? That cake became “my” coffee cake and a staple at many family events after that. Do you think it was a little divine intervention that gave me that recipe?  I always laugh about it when I see that old recipe, it always lifts my spirit.

In the many years that have passed since those days I have found myself saddened, lifted and renewed many times over. The death of our precious grandson was by far the darkest time and it was hard to grieve and watch your child grieve and not know how to help. We took a drive together one day to find the spot to hold Kaleb’s first birthday celebration and balloon release to thank so many who had helped all of us during that dark time and as we pulled in, an eagle flew over, coming close and soaring around. We knew that was where we were meant to be. We were again renewed and knew that Kaleb was in God’s care, where he could soar and watch over us, just like the eagle.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Help those who need your strength and renew their spirits with your grace. Open our eyes to the suffering of others so that we may help them in their time of need. Keep our hearts open to soar through the pain and feel strength in the love of those who are there to help lift them out of the darkness.  Amen.

Sheridith Yonash