Have you ever had a stretch of time when opportunities arose to test what you're made of spiritually? For me, this particular stretch has lasted over three years. Besides daily annoyances, the death of a parent, and career challenges, three life-altering things have driven me to my knees. Three years ago, my adult son was diagnosed with a serious chronic illness, and two very close friends started the fight of their lives with insidious, painful cancers. Despite all the prayer and crying out to God by many, many people on behalf of these precious ones, I've seen their situations become substantially worse. One of my beautiful Christian friends passed away two weeks ago, and the other is in palliative care, looking heaven in the face. My son has endured five surgeries and the loss of a career and his marriage.

What can I say? Through my tears and calling out to the Lord, I say, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." (Psalm 56:3 NIV 2011) I don't understand. Sometimes, I'm frustrated; many times, I'm just very sad. But who are we to understand the ways of God? I am a simple woman, but joy of joys, I belong to Him! I rest in knowing that whatever comes, He is with my beloved friends and family and with me. Even though I wonder why prayers are not answered the way I see fit, I fight to make a decision not to become angry, but to trust in Him. The psalmist sums it up for us: "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:26 NIV) I'm learning the hard way not to live out my own agenda or lean on my own understanding, but to realize that although life is short, eternity is forever. I look daily for how He makes His presence known, and I rely on the fact that one day, I will see Him face to face, and these cares will soon be over. This same comfort can belong to all of us.

Prayer: Father in heaven, today, we lay every concern at the foot of the cross and say, "Your ways are higher than mine. Not my will, but Yours be done." Thank You for the way that You hear our cries and perfect that which concerns us. May we honour You today by giving You our trust. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Recently, visiting a cherished friend in the north, I was talked into going for a paddle in their frontiersman canoe. A solid thing, a comfortable thing, I finesse my way into the forward seat and manage to shove us off the pebbly beach. My most dreaded challenge joyfully accomplished, I smile, as I usually tend to be unwieldy around watercraft. Sitting at the front, my job is simple: listen to the instructions of my experienced leader and do what I am told. My companion is easy to trust. This is her lake, her shoreline. She is stronger than I, fit for this task, a seasoned canoeist. I dip the paddle from side to side and stop when directed. As we slide across the smooth, dark water, I experience what I always do on the water: a thrill at seeing life from a new perspective. Buoyant, the canoe skirts along the shore and my friend points out the landmarks of beauty familiar to her. All is new to me.

Such is my life. Years ago, I chose to get into a boat and let Christ be my navigator. He sees ahead, marks my course, and whispers from behind, always steering me in the right direction. My job is simple: let Him be the guide. I need only to move when told to, to follow His lead. And when I do, when I surrender to His voice, I live out the joys that He has marked for me, and I see places and situations that delight and never cease to provide opportunities for growth. For He is good — only good — and today, He provided for me a tranquil excursion in a seasoned canoe on a most pristine lake with a lifelong friend.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for the joy of knowing You and hearing Your voice. How wonderful to see Your fingerprints on every part of our days. Help us, Lord, to obey You, to stay on course as You whisper in our ears, and to be mindful of and thankful for all You do for us. We love You, Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

A few years ago, I was having one of those days when I was feeling very sorry for myself. Working full-time as an elementary teacher was taking a lot out of me. After a long day, I'd start my second job caring for my husband, son, father-in-law, and our home. On the twenty-five-minute drive home from work, the daily "What's for dinner?" question plagued me as I tried to dream up a meal to meet their whims and needs, when all I really wanted to do was to sit as still as a stone in a soundproof room for an hour.

I came home to all three, sitting in the living room talking. They looked up and said "Hi" as I dropped my book bag and started in. That day, I was not exactly serving "as unto the Lord". I probably banged those pots around and slammed kitchen cupboard doors a little loudly. And when we all sat down to eat, my father-in-law, who was very worried about his blood pressure, remarked that the food was too salty. Now if he had said it to my face, that would have been one thing, but he said it in his native language to my husband. It was all I could do to sit there and not blow a gasket. They ate the "salty food" and returned to the living room, leaving me there to clean up the mess.

Doing the dishes, I started to sniff and cry out to God. Why Lord? I love them, but why can't they see I'm working hard for them? I'm tired. Why doesn't anyone ever say "thank you" around here?

At that moment, I reached up to the top shelf of the cupboard to put away a bowl, and out fell a card. On it, it said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thanks, thanks, thanks!" It was pink and red with hearts on it, a typical Hallmark card. Nothing was written inside, and there was no envelope. I had never seen it before and had no idea where it had come from. I started to laugh and cry at the same time. The Lord heard me! He gave me exactly what I needed. I changed my attitude to gratitude and thanked God for all that these lovely men brought to me daily. Serving in the Lord's strength and for Him, it could be done well. God is so good!

Prayer: Lord, please help us today to see others as You see them, to be filled with gratitude for those that You've put in our paths. Help us to serve them as we would You. Thank You for the love You freely give! In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Colossians 4:2 – Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (NIV)

My family lives about two hours from our city, and I take the back roads through small towns when I go to visit them. The scenery is beautiful, and this route keeps me off the six-lane freeways.

One night, however, I was distracted. The roads were much busier than usual, and I'd pulled over for more than one ambulance racing along. I felt a strong urge to pray. I prayed fervently for protection of all on the roads and particularly those who already needed an ambulance. I prayed that no one would die without knowing the Lord. I prayed that the Lord's comfort and healing would be evident to anyone in need. Passionately, I continued for about ten minutes, then went on my way into town.

As I was sitting at a stop light, a car came full speed through the intersection right for me. It was blindingly fast and with no time to think, I covered my face with my hands and screamed, "Jesus! Help!!!" I braced for impact, but none came. The car was on the other side of me as if it had gone right through me. I was stunned. The driver looked back at me confused, and we both drove slowly away.

All I could think of was that the Lord loves me. He warned me by urging me to pray about ten minutes prior. He loves me. And I wondered what the man in the other car was thinking. Did he know that he had just witnessed the power of God? Did he thank the One who saved him? Certainly this miracle was as much for this stranger as it was for me.

With new resolve, I decided that day to listen to the Holy Spirit's urging when it comes to prayer, and to be more obedient to His call. He loves us so much.

Prayer: Dear Lord, You are so gracious to us. You care so much for us. Thank You for Your daily protection and guidance. Help us to heed Your calls to prayer, to draw closer to You, and to know Your heart for us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

In late fall of the year when I was in second grade, I found out something that changed me. One of the girls on my street told me that Santa wasn't real. I ran right to my dad, and he told me that she was right. In one way, this was a relief. I had always wondered why my parents, who loved me, didn't give me Christmas gifts. Now I knew they did. More importantly, with Santa out of the way, my heart opened more fully to hearing about the Christ Child.

As things ramped up to the big day, we could hardly contain our excitement, but something was nagging at my young spirit. Amidst the tree decorating and cookie baking, I sensed more and more that Jesus was the focus in all this, or should have been. I didn't tell my parents or anyone else what I was thinking, but I felt sad a lot that Christmas, thinking that not enough attention was being paid to the Saviour.

After bedtime on Christmas Eve, I dozed fitfully until I saw the light go off under my parents' bedroom door and crept out into the living room. The streetlights, streaming in from the window, were reflected in the glass ornaments on the tree. I found my way to the television set, on top of which my mother had set out the nativity scene, and knelt down in front of it. I picked up the little baby Jesus and started to cry. "It's You, it's You, it's You. It's not Santa, it's nobody else. It's only about You. It's all about You." That was the first time I felt the presence of God. The Holy Spirit was drawing me to Jesus, the truth.

I would like to say I grew up and followed Him all my days, but sadly, I cannot. Yet through all my wayward teenage years into young adulthood, no matter what, I knew that Jesus was real. I gave my heart fully to Him when I was 23, and I'll never forget that night in front of the old television. It was a Christmas of revelation, a Christmas of truth.

Prayer: Thank You, thank You, Lord, for revealing Yourself to us! This Christmas, help us to seek You as little children, trusting You and giving our hearts to You. May we be ever mindful of Your grace and presence in this season, and all year long. We love You, Lord. Amen.

On a wide curve on the Charleston Side Road between Airport Road and the village of Caledon, north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, stands a lone elm tree. About ten years ago, driving by about dusk, my husband had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. At the precise moment when we were rounding the curve, his eyes opened, he shuddered, and belted out, "Tornado!" The elm, standing alone by the roadside in the dusk, had been mistaken for a twister. Ever since then, we've called it the "Tornado Tree".

This living monument was somehow overlooked when the road was put through and the farmers cleared the land. Or perhaps it remained a lone survivor in an outbreak of Dutch Elm disease. Why it is there is beyond me, but I am grateful. I drive that road many times in a month on my way to visit my elderly dad, and it is a marker and reminder.

The elm, branches raised toward heaven and spreading over the earth, seems to be reaching toward its Creator and pointing the way. I've imagined it worshipping — standing, roots firm — for over a hundred years. It fulfills its purpose: it provides shade, it houses birds and insects, and it is a living testament to its Creator, a thing of beauty put there for us to enjoy.

I want to be like that Tornado Tree. I want to fulfill my purpose, thrive where I'm planted, and point the way to the Lord of creation. I want to worship Him with the gifts He has imparted and bless others. When storms come, I want to stand, even if I'm standing alone.

That is the lesson of this elm tree for me.

Prayer: Dear Father, we pray that today You would help us to stand firm — to stand rooted in the belief that You love us the way we are, that Your love is unshakable. Knowing that we are accepted unconditionally, help us to bless and encourage others, to fulfil our purpose in You. We love You, Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

I was having a "down day". As I walked to my dad's house in the rain that Monday, I felt forlorn. Life, of late, had not been particularly kind. My mom had passed away several months earlier, and I was struggling to make sense of it all. At only 53 years of age, I was suddenly and irrevocably plunged into the world of bereavement. I hadn't had much experience with death, and now, here it was. It had moved into my heart with a vengeance, bringing along with it the thousands of niggling questions that I'd never had to think of before. Even though mom and I were both Christians, and I believed I'd see mom again, questions still arose. What was heaven like? What do people do there? Could my mother see me? Could Jesus give mom a message? Life would never be the same.

And that day, I had missed the bus, and the rain was drenching my sweater. As I passed St. Mary's Church on King Street, something caught my eye on the sidewalk: rain-soaked confetti — coloured little dots catching the light on a gray, pebbled walkway. Clearly, someone had something to celebrate. There must have been a wedding that weekend, and in disregard for all requests from the pulpit, the confetti had flown at bride and groom. I could imagine their smiles — a day of hope, a day of joy for two families coming together. A faint grin crossed my face as I thought of my own wedding day — and more importantly, a wedding to come: the marriage feast of Jesus and His bride, the Church. It will be a time of rejoicing, unity, intimacy, and putting away of all tears. My heart was suddenly filled with hope. This grief would not last forever.

Life is sometimes heavy, but hope in Christ and intimacy with Him lightens the load. Today, let's decide to put our hope in the only One worthy of it: beautiful Jesus!

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving us Your Son. Thank You that death is not the end for Your children, but the beginning. We look forward to that day when we can see You face to face, with no more tears. Renew our hope today and give us the joy that only You can bring. We love You! In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.