Last week may very well have been the most difficult week of my life. Early on Wednesday morning, my only sister passed away after a lengthy illness. That same morning, Maple, my sweet dog and faithful companion of many years, was also sick. By Friday she hadn’t recovered, so we took her to the emergency […]
Vultures and fixers
Anyone who suffers with chronic mental or physical illness will understand this quote by Eugene H. Peterson, “Suffering attracts fixers like roadkill attracts vultures.” When someone we care about suffers, we want to help. So we circle, ever ready to offer advice. The thing is, God doesn’t ask us to fix sufferers but to direct […]
When they hate, insult, and lie
On a return trip from ministry in England, my friend Joni and I were walking through the airport when a stranger coming toward us suddenly stopped and snarled, “I HATE YOU!” We were surprised, but we also rejoiced, knowing we must have done something good for God on that trip. Jesus said, “Blessed are you […]