In my own case, nearly five years ago, my husband Bob and I were celebrating our 50th year of marriage. We had driven from our home northeast of Toronto, Canada, south to Florida, USA. We thoroughly enjoyed the scenery, the history, and meeting up with old friends, a cousin, and a sister whom he had met only four years previously. After a full day aboard a cruise ship, we were on our way to our first port stop: San Juan, Puerto Rico. That's when it happened — an unexpected heart attack — and by 2 p.m., Bob had died! Talk about a shock!

I never once blamed God or felt that He had betrayed my love, but I did have a few brief "what if" thoughts. Each time, I countered with this Scripture that came to mind:

Job 14:5 – A person's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed. (NIV 2011)

Firstly, what if we had gone straight to the emergency room on the cruise ship instead of going back to our cabin when he wasn't feeling well? Because Scripture tells us that our days are numbered, I believe that the end result would have been the same, but I wouldn't have had the opportunity to comfort Bob as I showed my love for him, wrapping blankets around him as he was so chilly, and mopping the streams of perspiration from his head.

Another thing that crossed my mind briefly was what if we had been on the mainland near a big hospital, but almost as fast as that thought crossed my mind, the reality hit that the end result would have been the same, and I would have been alone, saddled with a huge hospital bill.

Another example was what if our family doctor had realized that Bob's heart was weak? Again, God brought to my mind that the end result would have been the same, but we never would have enjoyed that wonderful trip south.

Paul admonishes us to "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV 2011) Looking for the good is the best way to receive God's blessings. I thank Him that He has blessed me abundantly with His presence throughout the agony of that journey and ever since. I thank Him for the wonderful time that Bob and I did experience together, and I thank Him for His great love which sure does surpass all human understanding. That is my hope and prayer for you as well.

Prayer: Our precious heavenly Father, thank You for Who You are and how You give us strength and bless us, even in the midst of calamities. Thank You for the reassurance that after people accept Jesus' sacrifice for their sins, when they are absent from the body, they are present with You. In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen.

A turkey and an eagle react differently to the threat of a storm. A turkey reacts by running under the barn, hoping the storm won't come near. On the other hand, an eagle leaves the security of its nest and spreads its wings to ride the air currents of the approaching storm, knowing they will carry it higher in the sky than it could soar on its own. Based on your reaction to the storms of life, which are you? A turkey or an eagle? – Anne Graham Lotz

Almost four years ago, when my husband, Bob, died of a sudden heart attack as the cruise ship on which we were sailing was entering the first port stop of San Juan, Puerto Rico, I had never faced a storm like it! Burying my head or hiding out from the experience were not options for me. Of course, there is the certain brain fog that descends on one who has just experienced such a trauma. But through it all, the texts, online messages, and important FaceTime sessions with family back in Canada certainly helped me to experience God's tangible love. Even strangers were answers to prayers offered on my behalf! They all helped me to spread my wings to ride the air currents higher than I could have possibly soared on my own.

I thank God for bringing me this far in my journey. Even though tears still flow sometimes, waves of grief have lessened, and they are not like a tsunami threatening to knock me down. I am stronger than before this experience, as I have reached out to God regularly in prayer. I find that I call out to Him whenever and wherever, because I know that He hears and He cares. I know that He's with me at all times and in all places! Thanks be to God for His steadfast love!

I urge you to join me in depending on Him throughout our life experiences, even when storms threaten.

A chorus, based on Isaiah 40:31, has such meaning to me!

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.
They shall walk and not faint.
Teach me, Lord, teach me, Lord, to wait!
       – Arthur B. Whiting, 1903

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank You for Your unfailing love, Your closeness, and Your strength that help us, especially when we face the storms of life. You are a great God and greatly to be praised! In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen!

The reality is that underneath all the glitz of the season, the real hope began with the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Emmanuel, God becoming one of us to show us who He is — His nature and character.

Christmas is definitely important and worth celebrating and decorating, to spread joy and hope. But the birth of Emmanuel is not the finale. Without Christmas, there'd be no Easter! Without Christ's cross and resurrection, we'd all be lost in our sins — no hope! So, let's decorate to welcome and celebrate the birth of our Saviour!

I love to glean messages from a song by the Ball Brothers, entitled It's about the cross. They sing that it's not just about the manger, the angels, the shepherds, the star, or the wise men. The truth is that "It's about the cross; it's about my sin." The most stirring part after all these reminders is the key, which I remember my late husband singing with such conviction: "It's about how every drop of blood that flowed from Him, when it should have been me!" Our sure hope of salvation was expensive — it cost Christ His life! They sing, "The beginning of the story is wonderful and great but it's the ending that can save you and that's why we celebrate." That's real hope, not wishful thinking but a sure and certain hope.

May your Christmas season be bright with the light of Christ shining hope in your heart and life. As you admire the lights and decorations, I pray that they may be beautiful reminders that point to the true hope of Christmas, the Baby born to save us if we but accept His invitation.

Romans 12:12a – Let this hope burst forth within you, releasing a continual joy. (TPT)

Prayer: Our dear heavenly Father, we thank You for coming to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to rescue us. Thank You that the many lights that brighten our homes and streets can be beacons reminding us all that Christ is the light of the world. Help us, Lord, as we celebrate and decorate, to share the hope that we have in You. In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture reminds us that in this life, there will be troubles. I would say that the past few weeks have qualified as "troubles"! Having decided that it was time to downsize and buy a condo meant the need to sell the home that Bob and I had bought new in 1972. Talk about an emotional roller coaster! Purging in order to make the house presentable for showings was one of the first hurdles. Ugh! I had no idea how cluttered my place was with family pictures everywhere from throughout the past 52 years. So many treasures with fond memories had to be removed. Another bump in the road of life had the next signpost: Reality Check! You can't take everything with you to a condo!

Matthew 6:19a,21 – Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (NIV)

As I struggled through the process with many a tear, I needed to deal with the various items that were so special to both of us! It would be different if I were facing my death today, as I know that I won't want or need these earthly mementos, which are so precious to me here, when I'm with the Lord, face to face.

Even though I knew that the Lord had guided me to make this move, it didn't mean that it was easy sailing or a smooth road. As I navigated the bumps, I called on Him for strength. Up the hill I'd climb as excitement would build, and then — whoosh — down the roller coaster, as I faced more challenges.

As the countdown continues and the piles of boxes increase, I have a strange calmness. I know that the Lord really is in control, and as I depend on Him, my roller coaster is turning into more of a Tilt-A-Whirl™, the one ride that I used to enjoy! Its curved shape surrounding the riders reminds me of God holding me in the palm of His great hand. I am secure and held by Him, even though my world still spins and twirls up and down from time to time. I can trust Him and depend on Him.

May each of us remember that He holds the whole world in His hands, so we need not fear the unknown road ahead!

The old hymn, On Christ the solid Rock I stand, is as true today as ever. He is the sure and solid footing — no matter what troubles come our way. He is indeed the way to survive and thrive!

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, we come before You in awe of who You are, for in spite of our shortcomings and weaknesses, Christ died for each of us and rose again to give us life abundant and forever. Help us to seek Your face, to reach out and grasp Your hand that is reaching out to help us, protect us, and shelter us, especially when our world seems to be out of control like a roller coaster, and putting hurdles in our path. Thank You for surrounding us like the Tilt-A-Whirl™, protecting us in the shelter of Your mighty yet gentle hand. In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen.

Has someone ever put you on the spot like that? As she patiently awaited my answer, I pondered silently for what felt like an hour but, in reality, wasn't likely even a minute:

"What does Jesus mean to you?"

I finally came full circle to the simplest response: To me, Jesus is The Way! He is The Way: to live, to hope, to love, to survive, and to thrive!

After all, Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 NIV)

I shared how, on my own, without the Lord showing The Way, I couldn't have survived these past two years without my best friend and husband, Bob. The Lord has held me tenderly, guided me, loved me, and forgiven me, even though I fall so short! He not only set the example of how to live and love, but also gives me hope for each day. As I become more conscious of His presence, the words of an old hymn reassure me that "He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own", both now, as well as for eternity! In conversational prayer, I am assured that, as Bob used to sing, "He's as close as the mention of His name, Jesus"! (Gordon Jensen)

As usual, I couldn't help but share another piece of music that flooded my heart and mind. "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His spirit, washed in His blood!" (Fanny Crosby)

Jesus really is The Way! Without Him, we wander aimlessly and without hope. I continued to sow seeds and urged my friend to come alongside and follow Him, too!

I urged her to read Scripture, and recommended the YouVersion smartphone app that I've found extremely helpful, especially because it offers a variety of translations. I also suggested searching out solid Christian speakers online and listening to Christian music. Each "vehicle" strengthens and lifts me up spiritually! Of course, I made suggestions of a few specific ones that I find so helpful.

In Scripture, we are urged, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15b NIV)

I did my best, and now, I've left my friend in the Lord's hands. I pray, trusting that the Lord will open her eyes, ears, and heart to accept Jesus as her best friend, too — The Way! I suggested some tools, and she knows that I'm open to sharing, whenever. Now it's up to her to make the choice.

Prayer: Dear Father, thank You for coming to earth in the form of Jesus, Who comes alongside us to show us and be The Way! Help us to accept His invitation to come to Him and to walk closely with Him day by day! In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen.

After once again trying to wear my new — but too tight — pair of slippers, I retreated to my comfortable, well-worn ones, thankful for the bit of support that they still had. As I pondered the new, rarely worn, rather tight, plush pair, I reluctantly considered that perhaps it was time to break them in and stretch them!

How similar this is to our Christian walk, I thought!

Do you, too, prefer the comfort zone of the past instead of the challenge of stepping forward to do the Lord's work in perhaps a new or different way? Even in the midst of this pandemic, where we in Ontario have been under a lockdown/stay-at-home order once again, there is still work to do for the Lord! People need to hear the Good News! We can't be out and about as was normal in the past. How, Lord, I wondered, do we move forward, uncomfortable as it may be (like my new slippers) and do Your work?

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (NLT)

We need to seek His word, praying for direction and guidance to do His will. Perhaps we'll be urged to make a phone call, write a letter, send a text message or an email, or even compose a devotional. Is baking your gift to touch someone with God's love? Perhaps, including a Bible verse along with the goodies would encourage someone and give them new hope. Each of us needs to stretch a bit, to leave the old slippers behind, to step outside our comfort zone, and to find new ways to be His hands, His feet, and His voice in this world!

My late husband used to share a solo that was originally sung by The Imperials:

You're the only Jesus that some will ever see,
And you're the only words of life, some will ever read.
So let them see in you the One in whom is all they'll ever need,
'Cause you're the only Jesus, some will ever see.
       – David Will

Point to ponder: Lord, how are You wanting me to stretch and step out of my comfort zone so that You can use me to touch Your world?

Prayer: Dear Lord, we come before You, admittedly preferring the comfortable, but also acknowledging that You know best and will help us to step forward, even when things seem a little tight and new. Give us courage and strength to be Your hands, Your feet, and Your voice, because we know that we're the only Jesus some may ever see! In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen.

That made me ponder the witness of my Christian faith. Peter demonstrated his faith by stepping out of the boat and walking on the water, as long as he kept his eyes on the Lord. Faith is often defined as complete trust. As a Christ-follower, my faith, my complete trust in Him alone, is the cornerstone of this personal relationship. Going to the Scriptures is the key to growing in our faith and trusting Jesus. Then, like the squirrels, we'll take leaps of faith, trusting the Lord completely, and in doing so, we'll exhibit the joy of the Lord and please Him!

Especially since March 2019, God has shown Himself to be completely trustworthy! When my husband and I were celebrating our 50th year of marriage on an eastern Caribbean cruise, Bob suffered a fatal heart attack as the ship was entering the first port, San Juan, Puerto Rico. God provided many miracle moments that only He could have orchestrated throughout that challenging time. My faith has grown and deepened as I've come to trust Jesus more. I realized that I have dared to take leaps of faith, sharing God's grace with individuals, as well as speaking to groups (before COVID-19). I encourage you to trust Him, too. He will uphold us with His great love and equip us to take leaps of faith with His help!

Romans 10:17 – So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ. (ESV)

John 7:38 – Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (ESV)

When we believe in Jesus with even the smallest amount of trust, the good news is that He will work in and through us. The joy of living our faith will be evident!

Something to consider: How do we trust Him like the squirrels leaping to the next branch or Peter stepping out of the security of the boat towards Jesus in faith? Let each of us seek to know Him more, that we might live out our faith with such joy that others will know that we are His and will want to know Him, too!

Prayer: Dear Father, strengthen our faith as we seek a closer walk with You throughout this new year! Guide us as we move forward. Help us to keep our eyes on You, trusting and listening for Your Word, Your guidance, and Your assurance that You have a plan for each of us. Help us to take leaps of faith for Your sake. Thank You, Lord, that You are with us and will never forsake us. In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen.