I Don't Want a Crystal Ball

How gracious God is in not letting us see all that a new year might hold for us. Instead, He teaches us to trust Him one trial or blessing at a time. 

I would have been overwhelmed if God had shown me ahead of time how 2011 would unfold. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the daily gifts He poured out on me for fear of what was around the corner. I wouldn't have understood the perfection of God's timing and provision in all things. I wouldn't have learned even more to walk by faith and not by sight.

Some of us will know great joy in 2012. Some of us will know the deepest sorrow ever. Some of us might know both. Whatever trials or blessings God gives us, may we all know more of our Savior, and may we both suffer and rejoice for His glory.

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us — looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith!" Hebrews 12:1-2. Look only, look always, look intently, to Jesus; run looking, work looking, fight looking, suffer looking, live looking, and die looking — to Jesus, who is at God's right hand in glory. Oh, look, look, look to Jesus!

~James Smith, A New Year's Motto

Happy New Year!

With love,

Trisha

Thankful Thursday~A One Way Ticket

I thought having my Mom with us would be good for her as she faced her first Christmas without my Dad. But, in this past week that she's been here, God has made it abundantly clear to me how much I've needed her.

It has been a delightful week of laughing together, remembering and crying with one another. I'm so thankful to cook for her and encourage her in the LORD and just love her as a family should.

She's seen the good, bad, and the UGLY (maybe one day I'll share about our Christmas light tour adventure....), and she loves us still and even wrote nice things to me in the many BOOKS she gave me for Christmas! :)

And, I heard the words I didn't think I'd hear when she asked, "Do you think it would be more expensive to get a one way ticket next time?" What? An open-ended return date?? That would be lovely, Mom. Absolutely lovely.

"Thanksgiving has attained its rightful place in us, only when it is part of all our days and dominates all our experiences."
~J.R. Miller

With love,
Trisha

Homemade Kettle Corn

I'm not a kettle corn expert, so I can't tell you how this homemade recipe compares to store bought versions. However, it's been a hit around our house this past week, offering a sweet and salty alternative to traditional popcorn.

Clean-up is super easy. Just be sure to listen for those last pops, so you don't burn the popcorn!

Homemade Kettle Corn
1/3 c. oil
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. popcorn
salt to taste

Heat oil and sugar in pan (make sure you have a lid that fits this pan before you start). Stir and add popcorn. Cover with lid and shake vigorously until popping stops. Spread on cookie sheet and lightly salt. Break apart when cool enough to handle. Eat warm.

Enjoy!

With love,
Trisha

Merry Christmas!

"The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Alleluia! Alleluia!"

Merry Christmas!

Much love,

The Poff Clan

Life in Pictures~Almost Christmas Edition

The weather outside is now frightful, even though it's so delightful. I've lost count of how many snow storms we've had.  I think it's 4 so far this month. 

There are cars stuck on the road, and my Beloved almost didn't make it home last night. He had to drive another route and then fight just getting in our driveway. The men of the house will be building more muscles as they shovel lots of snow today.

I can't believe it's just a couple more days until Christmas. Tonight we're supposed to enjoy our annual "drive around and look at Christmas lights" event, followed by our traditional hot chocolate and french fries. :) But, we might have to postpone that activity until next week. Hopefully, we'll still be able to enjoy our amazing Christmas Eve service.

There's been quite a bit of snow cream in our home this month. Have I mentioned Ink is a master at whipping this stuff up? If you're not looking, he might throw in a bit of maple syrup. I think that's to make sure he gets to eat the entire bowl of cream by himself.

We've been enjoying Behold the Lamb of God for our Advent readings. Are we behind? YES. Am I upset? NO. 

Advent chocolates are like socks around here. They mysteriously end up missing. Nonetheless, it's been a sweet way to mark the approach of Christmas Day.

Oh my. I've been the recipient of the kindness of a couple of friends I've met through blogging, and their thoughtfulness has been overwhelming.  This friend sent bookmarks for all our the ladies in the house, paperweights for the writers in the house, a homemade checkers set, the only kind of mouse I like--a stuffed one...for Cap'n to enjoy throwing around, and lovely washcloths and scrubby for my Beloved and me. Everything except the rocks was handmade!

This sweet friend sent me a cookbook (I'm a collector of them) AND chocolate! She knows me so well. :)

Both gifts left me teary-eyed and very thankful and so humbled that these sweet friends would spend their time and money and talents to bless our family.  Thank you!!

There's been a lot of this going on this month....watching for snow and watching the snow.

For those tough guys who are still too short to survive mountain snow drifts, there are always the famous green army men. Daddy threw in a few M&Ms, too, because he felt sorry for Cap'n.

Clairesy enjoyed the snow for a bit, but she's still waiting for her snow boots to arrive. If they've been shipped FedEx, it might be a while before we see them. 

Views like this in Albuquerque made Christmas shopping all the more fun.

There's something special about the sunrise after it's been snowing.

We've spent our days watching sleeping baby, too. That's never a waste of time.

I've made lots of comfort food...soups and casseroles and yummy hot drinks. 

Our original plans to get a real tree this year fizzled, so we stuck with our artificial tree. It's a humble one that provides endless fascination for the Littles. 

We had fun buying ornaments this year that reflect Christ and the story of our redemption....a piece of fruit to remind us of sin entering the world, a cluster of grapes to remind us that Christ is the vine and we are the branches, a sheep to remind us that He is our Shepherd,  and a star to remind us that He is the Light of the World. We'll continue to add more each year, and this is my favorite "new" thing we've done this Christmas.

There's always lots of reading going on. It's exciting to watch Ella read to her little sisters now. The girl is unstoppable! Here she's reading from The Big Picture Story Bible, one of our favorites.

Storytelling and handiwork make a perfect pair for snowy days. Emma is finishing up a cross stitch kit she started when Grandma was here, and Luke is sharing adventures from his many readings.

It was wonderful to watch him get into the part of a Storyteller and to hear his captivated sisters say, "More, more!"

Yes, lying on the back of the couch is allowed during story time. :)

We attended our annual Mountain Man Christmas party. Lots of good food and a great bluegrass band. There was even a drunk woman who offered her comments about the size of our family. "Wow. You've been busy." "You need to get a tv." It's ok. I stopped her from sharing her more explicit thoughts, and she was later escorted away from the party. The whole scene was an opportunity for our children to be reminded of life without Christ and to pray for her.

This gets my "Decoration of the Year" award! Isn't is wonderful? WE ALL FIT!! Our names never fit on anything.  The personalization stops at 6 people on most everything. Yes, Elisabeth is misspelled, but she's quickly getting over any psychological trauma.

Cap'n has been battling our "Jingle Dog." The stuffed pet sings Jingle Bells and causes quite the fright for our little guy. Yesterday we caught Cap'n throwing Jingle Dog across the room. We're thinking they're finally becoming friends.

Clairesy tries her hand at covert ops. Because we'd never notice her trying to play an electronic game under a pillow.

I never knew little white lights could bring me such JOY. I love having these hanging throughout the house, and I'll probably be leaving some of them up throughout winter. They are such a simply way to get COZY. Cost: less than 12.00. 

This is how things look this morning. Remember this tomahawk stand has much longer legs. :) And it's still snowing.

And finally, I'll leave you with this little ditty from my heart:

FedEx, FedEx, where are you?
Yes we know that out there it's a mess
FedEx, FedEx, where are you?
To get the job done, you should hire UPS.

Much love to you all,
Trisha

Children and Explicit Sermons

When you have your children worship with you, there's sometimes a concern about how a Pastor might approach those passages of Scripture that, as parents, we might edit and explain according to the child's maturity.

I remember when our church was interviewing potential pastors how varied the approaches were to having various ages listening to the sermon. One particular candidate obviously forgot there were children in the audience, or perhaps just didn't think that meant he should change what he said. It was the first time I'd hoped our children had been distracted during part of a sermon.

I'm the parent who actually previews certain popular ministers' messages because I know they'll get a bit too detailed. I was starting to think I was crazy since no one else I knew seemed bothered. It was as though those with older children had forgotten what it's like to have younger children listening in on a sermon.

Then I heard Carl Trueman's account of his having shared a bit too much from the pulpit one morning. His wife reminded him that such terminology was inappropriate when children were present. He said he never did that again.

It was just one more reason to like him.

Thankfully, the pastor God gave us shows much discretion in this area. He remembers our church family includes a wide range of ages and maturity, and this Mama's heart is especially thankful I don't have to wish our children had missed parts of his sermons. If you have a pastor like this, you should thank him for it. If you don't, you should consider the value of children hearing detailed accounts of  perversions or the intimacy that should only be part of marriage.

This is not about making sex a dirty word to our children. This is about explaining it, not in the crude terms of the world, but in the beautiful way God intended it, not in a church audience, but one on one in private. There are things my children simply don't need to know at age 8, and when they need to know should be something I decide. I know their hearts, their weaknesses, their maturity.

I grew up learning my facts at school or in my church youth group. There was no sheltering or filtering done, and I was the worse for it. Yet, with our children, we discuss things according to age and maturity, and I have found an invaluable openness to discuss these mature matters, for which I am profoundly thankful.

Why is it that we think sheltering and filtering only lead to distorted views of sex?

And I think Trueman is spot on with this observation about explicit sermons and books..

Finally, I wonder if the current passion for producing books and preaching sermons on sex also witnesses to the erosion of the boundary between public and private which is all too obvious in the world around us.   Facebook, Twitter, reality TV and the rise of celebrity have each served to turn us all into exhibitionists and to make those who yearn for privacy look like weirdoes and losers.   That this is impacting the church from the top down is obvious; and it is at least worth pausing to ask whether sex books and explicit sermons are part of this.  It is surely hard to imagine Christian public figures of yesteryear such as  Martyn Lloyd-Jones, J I Packer or Carl Henry setting up a website called the `sexperiment' or giving advice on sexual technique from the pulpit.  


Read the rest here.

Mamas, God gave us an instinct to protect our children from too much information too soon. We should listen to it.

With love,
Trisha

Over the Moon

We're over the moon. Can you guess why?

I'm thankful my Mama arrived safely. I'm thankful her luggage did, too. I'm thankful the snow storm we had didn't impact her travel. I'm thankful for my Mountain Man who makes sure we get to where we need to go.

I'm thankful for the wheelchair that was available to help her make it through the airports. I'm thankful for children who practically smothered her, they were so glad to see her.

I'm thankful for children who said "thank you!" when their MeMaw treated them to fries on the way home last night. I'm thankful my Mama doesn't mind sleeping in the same room with all four girls! I'm thankful they were fighting about who got to sleep with MeMaw the first night.

I'm thankful I can make my Mama tea in the morning and breakfast and lunch and dinner. And do it all over again every day she's here. I'm thankful I have gifts that will warm her heart on Christmas day. Because I know she'll be thinking of my Dad and how he would have wanted his coffee and what he would have wanted for breakfast.

I'm thankful she'll be so overwhelmed with hugs and kisses and LOVE that she'll find it very hard to be too sad. I'm thankful our children aren't emotionally and physically attached to a phone or game boy, but can just sit and enjoy the presence of their MeMaw. 

I'm thankful that a girl never gets over her need for her Mama.

I'm thankful that God gives us good gifts every day, not because we deserve it, but because He is so gracious and merciful.

Savor those moments with your loved ones this year. Yes, the difficult ones, too. Try to live in the moment, without the distraction of technology that coats our relationships in layers of depthless interactions. Give lots of hugs and kisses and good words, and praise God for the LIFE He gives us in Christ Jesus.

With love,

Trisha

Two Desert Myths

1) There's no snow in the desert.

 These were taken yesterday. Even the UPS man forged through our blizzard-wanna-be! I was very thankful since most of my Christmas shopping has been done on-line.

This is the view I woke up to this morning....it's breathtaking, and I never tire of it!

2) We only eat lizards and snakes out here.

Not all of the time...we do eat normal food, too, like this very easy breakfast casserole and these sweet-but-not-too-sweet apple pockets. There's something about snowy days that makes me want to try new recipes even more. Both of these are keepers.

Easy Breakfast Casserole

2 c. dry chicken stove top stuffing mix

2 c. milk

1-1/2 cups cubed ham or cooked and crumbled sausage

6 eggs, beaten

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9x12 baking dish. Mix all ingredients together and pour into prepared dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until set.

~from Food.com

Apple Pockets

1 pkg refrigerated pie crusts (or make your own!)

3 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin

1/3 c. sugar

2 T. flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 T. butter

milk

1/4 c. sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon combined in a small bowl

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Cut each circle (there should be two) of pie crusts into four wedges. Toss apple slices with flour mixture. Place 6-8 mixture coated apple pieces on half of one pie crust wedge. Dot with butter and fold pie crust over top of apples. Seal around open side edges with fork dipped in milk. Slit top with a knife in a few places, brush with a bit of milk, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with rest of pie crust pieces. Bake on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet about 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Great served warm with ice cream. Makes 8.

Enjoy!

With love,

Trisha

Mothering Like It All Matters and a Giveaway in Honor of Denise Sproul

How quickly a mother's vision fixes on what doesn't matter. Whether your daughter has the most stylish pair of jeans or haircut. Whether your son gets the latest technological wonder. Whether you have the biggest house on the block or the best homeschooling curriculum.

Wrapped up in the mix of our everyday decisions is the truth that our focusing on what doesn't matter matters. It all matters. 

It's the wise Mama who remembers that each of her decisions, each smile she gives when she's grumpy, each meal she cooks when she's too tired, each sacrifice she makes when she's tempted to pursue her own "dreams," each moment she slays self and lives out the gospel before her family, each look in the eye she gives her children instead of the classic "back turned and uh-huh" response, matter. They shape her family today and families for generations to come. And in ways I don't understand, they matter for eternity.

And yes, it's all by His grace. 

Denise Sproul, wife of R.C. Jr., is with Jesus now, and Doug Phillips reminds us that she's now free from pain and full of joy and waiting the resurrection of the dead and "the reunion of her dear R.C., children, and loved ones in Christ."

He also offers this sobering exhortation, which I remind myself of every day and which is at the heart of so much of what I post here. 

"Tonight, stop and take a really good look at your spouse. Next, look at each of your children. Look really, really long and hard. Take a moment and thank God for every whisper of a moment that God has given you with them. Thank God for the little kisses offered, the stories told, the tickles dispensed, the games played, the readings shared, the silent moments cherished, the victories experienced, the losses endured, the kind words presented , the songs sung, the glances exchanged. These moments not only count for eternity, but they will be remembered for the next billion years after you leave this minuscule moment in time called “life.” Every moment with your loved one matters. Someday they or you will be gone. Every conversation matters. Every kind deed in the name of Christ matters. It all matters." 

(Read the rest here.)

If you're already mothering like it all matters, praise God. Pray you won't lose your focus and get sidetracked by the schemes of Satan, the temptations from the world, or your own flesh. Keep yourself humble before the LORD by remembering every thing you do in your mothering to honor Him is because of His grace.

If you're not mothering like it matters, then make changes. Start on your knees in repentance. Cut the stuff out that's keeping you from living out and speaking of the gospel to your children.

Denise's children are remembering good things about their Mama. They are rising up and calling her blessed, not perfect, but blessed. None of us knows how much longer we have to mother like it all matters, but while we still have another breath, it's never too late.

"But do little ones forget? I suppose the events that we best remember in advanced age are the things that happened to us in our earliest days. At any rate, I have shaken hands with gray-headed men who have forgotten nearly all the events that have intervened between their old ange and the time of their childhood, but little matters that transpired at home, hymns learned at their mother's knee, and words spoken by their father or sister have lingered with them. The voices of childhood echo throughout life. The first learned is generally the last forgotten. The young children who heard our Lord's blessing would not forget it. They would have His countenance photographed upon their hearts and never forget His kind and tender smile. " ~Charles Spurgeon 

Mamas, let's ask ourselves.... 

What will my children remember? 

Will they remember authenticity or hypocrisy?
Will they remember smiles or frowns?
Will they remember kindness or harshness?
Will they remember patience or frustration?
Will they remember joy or despair?
Will they remember trust or anxiety?
Will they remember peace or strife?
Will they remember forgiveness or bitterness? 

Will they remember the life-changing love of Christ and the gospel lived out before their eyes? 

Help us, Lord, remember that they will remember, and let them remember Your love and grace and mercy.

We're blessed to have Denise's parenting wisdom set before us in a book she wrote called Tending Your Garden. 

I'd love to bless one of you with this treasure of wisdom. It can be for yourself or for another Mama or Mama- to- be. Just leave a comment letting me know you'd like to be entered. US only, please. I'll draw the winning name on January 6, 2012. That gives everyone plenty of time to enter and share the word even in the midst of this busy season.

And please remember the Sprouls in your prayers.

Much love,
Trisha

As the Breathing of Our Souls

In the experience of God's people, it is often found that when their outward condition is troubled, their inward state is full of perplexities and fears. In affliction, Satan seeks to make a breach between us and God. He is most malicious with those with whom he has little hope of victory, as in Job's case.

If he cannot run us on a rock, he will seek to upset us with a tempest. If he cannot rob us of grace, he will seek to disturb our peace and comfort. Believers can expect inward and outward troubles because we have married Christ with His cross. We are delivered from the curse indeed but are appointed to the cross.

Outward afflictions may be many and heavy and come upon the neck of another. We may feel the hard brunt enough to exercise our whole strength of faith and patience. Inward afflictions are far more heavy than afflictions of the body, for a wounded spirit who can bear? It is not unusual though, that both of these rods come upon us at once, as a load on a broken back.

What shall we do? We must take a hold on God by renewed acts of faith. Faith is used not only for our entrance into grace, but also for our continuance and progress through all temptations and difficulties. Faith and prayer must be as the breathing of our souls to keep the heart alive. We must trust the Lord in every change and condition of life. I will lay the weight of my sinking spirit on the free grace of Christ. I will renew my hold, life, and expectations there.

This is the path. I will never be turned from it. A trusting Christian in this strength may challenge all the gates of hell. "When I am afraid, I put my trust in You." (Psalm 56:3). Afraid? Who is not? But what course will you take then? Believe. Use faith always, and have it now.
~Elias Pledger, Puritan Sermons 1659-1689
Voices From the Past

Today's Impression: Smashed Bug on a Windshield

Give This One Wrapped in a Hug and a Kiss

My Beloved doesn't ask for much. At this time of year, when I'm begging him to tell me what he'd like to find under the tree, he has to work at an answer. And even then, there aren't any big items that are simply unthinkable.

Meanwhile, he wants to make sure that my gifts outnumber everyone else's. It's just his way of honoring me, and the children have picked up on that, too. On Christmas day, when we're opening our gifts one by one, I'm usually the last one to finish. It's a bit embarrassing.

A dear loved one offered me enough Christmas money that I could actually think of redecorating our very small kitchen. New paint. Painted doors. Curtains. Hardware. I was dreaming big in my mind. And as frugally as possible.

Of course, then there's my Amazon wish-list. It's mostly books.

I couldn't decide.

So, I asked my Beloved what I should do. I was surprised that he said to go for the books, and we'd do the kitchen soon. My oldest sons guessed right away that that's what he said. I have a feeling they'll treat their wives like princesses, too.

It doesn't take long to think about all of the ways our husbands give to us every day. Too often our gratitude for those little things they do gets lost in the midst of our busy days, and we forget to sing out praises for our husbands.

"Praise is better than wheat germ for even the least vain of men, and every wife ought to keep a supply in her pocket ready to scatter like manna."
~Phyllis McGinley

So, this year why not make a lovely list of all the things your husband does to make your life richer. And have your children do this, too. (And then make a list for each of your children.) I think it will be one of the most favorite gifts under the tree.

But don't stop there. Resolve in the new year to praise your husband and children every day for at least one thing.

His faithfulness. His protective care over you. His leading your family in worship. His wrestling with the boys. His never making you put gas in your car. His adoration for your cooking. His never asking what you've done all day. :)

Their helpfulness. Their initiative. Their giving a soft answer. Their doing a job diligently. Their love for the Word.

Praise and encouragement wrapped up in hugs and kisses. One size fits all. Perfect gifts anytime of the year.

With love,
Trisha


***C.J. Mahaney encourages us to look for evidences of grace in each other. I love that term. And if you think it's easy, try it for a day. You'll notice that our flesh tends to focus on everything a person doesn't get right instead of the few things he does. In our home, we even ask each other to share the evidences of grace seen in each other that day, and sometimes we struggle to come up with one. We've learned that the praise muscle is one that must be exercised daily and blessed with God's grace to see Him at work in each other.

The Dangerous Nightstand

Am I the only one who could potentially suffer a head injury because of what's on my nightstand?

Say it isn't so.

Coffee Pot Cider and Death All Around Us

I know. Only I would combine the two and create such a morbid title. My oldest son, the wise Ink, says I'm morbid these days. (This comes from the same guy who wants me to watch fight scenes from Ip Man, a martial arts film. And he thinks I'm the morbid one? ) Yet, my four year old, writes me notes describing me as a "happy Mama." Who are you gonna believe?

Perhaps I'm not morbid. I just have sharper vision and a better understanding of the brevity of life. AND, I know what hymns I want sung at my funeral, and I know that I want everyone to wear a shade of pink. :)

On to the happy thought, first.

I'm a tea girl myself, BUT, there's something wonderful about the aroma of cider floating through the house. I love that this version can be done in the coffee pot.

We even invested in an extra one to use only for cider. I made a second pot using the same mix, and it still tasted great. You can always add a bit of sugar to the mix the second time around if you prefer.

Fill water reservoir with 2 quarts apple cider. In basket lined with filter, place (yes, all of this fits!)

an orange, cut in wedges
 1/4 c. brown sugar,packed
 1/4 tsp. salt
 1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp. whole allspice
1 tsp. whole cloves
dash of nutmeg

and BREW away.

Now to the sadder part....it's ok if you leave now. I won't hold it against you.

Today is the 6 month anniversary of my Dad's death. Sunday was the 2 month mark since Michele died, and yesterday was 2 months since I miscarried. I feel a bit sheepish about posting something so common as a recipe...BUT, I know my Dad would have loved to have tasted this cider, and Michele, well, she would have been making this one for her family. And me..I'm fighting for that JOY, and making cider in a coffee pot is just one way I'm doing it.

Death has always been all around me. It's around all of us. I just see it more clearly now. We're all dying every day. Some faster. Some slower.  It's everywhere I look.  But there's that fleshly part of me that wants to ask the LORD if we can pause for a minute, that wants to make the case that I've met my death quota for the year (and maybe next year, too).

 And yes, I know that He doesn't give us more than we can bear, and I know that these precious saints are with Him and rejoicing. These thoughts have kept me centered many days.

Just remember that all of your everyday moments are gifts. Making your bed and changing diapers and washing clothes and cooking dinner, and yes, brewing some warm apple cider for the ones you love. So, enjoy sipping some of this with your own sweethearts and thank God for the gift of the little things that we'll later look back on and realize were very big things.

"Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: let such as love Thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: Thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God."
~Psalm 40:16, 17

Much love,
Trisha

An Awesome Giveaway and Interview

Please visit my sweet friend and sister in Christ, Christina Langella. She's done an amazing interview with author Simonetta Carr, who has written some wonderful biographies about men and women in church history.

The bonus is a giveaway of three of Simonetta's books!

With love,
Trisha

Modern Day Moses

I don't have to create photo opportunities in this house. They just happen.

Cap'n decided he'd make do with a basket since he wasn't getting a recliner any time soon. The pillow was already waiting for him, courtesy of his thoughtful sisters, and the Babies book? His choice.

And while he won't be watching God part the Red Sea, we do wonder if he's got a bit of preacher in him. Last night, while leafing through his sister's Bible, he paused a bit to pound his fists on the table. I kid you not.

But he was smiling while he did it.

How God Transforms Our Weeping and Praying

Our Pastor shared with us yesterday that Denise Sproul, wife of R.C. Sproul, Jr., needs chemotherapy or hospice care. Yet, this dear mother of eight is too weak for the chemo right now. This news pressed heavy upon me, and I simply had to leave the room.

Sitting in our little "cry room," I gave it new meaning as I cradled my little one in my arm and rocked and cried for this family and for every loss we ourselves have known this past year. You see, the grief is still there, and it's right near the surface most every day.

And I prayed, hard and tear-filled prayers. I prayed like someone does when you know a glimpse of another's struggle. I prayed like I did when I just knew God was going to heal Michele. I prayed like I did when I realized God might be taking away the very baby we had prayed for and rejoiced over. And I prayed like someone who knows very well that God's best is often what we fear most.

Had I not ever seen Michele sick, without hair, counting medicines, trying to keep her food down, too weak to walk a flight of stairs....just battling this cancer (and these were all good days), my ability to weep with her would have been such an impoverished offering compared to walking along with her, even for a few days, and witnessing what her life was like.

When I hear of a Mama who's suffered a miscarriage, I'm cut to the core. I weep for the one I don't even know, and I pray for her. Hard.

Yes, we still weep with those who weep even though we haven't known their sorrow, but when God moves us, through our own suffering, from "That must be a horrible thing to go through," to "That is a horrible thing to go through," we comfort and we pray in a different way.

And that's what I thought about as I stood at my kitchen sink, remembering R.C. Jr.'s words this morning that he was weary, but he knew Jesus was watching over his wife and children. I've never even met this family, but I have wept this morning for them, and I'm sure, for me, too. It reminded me of what the body of Christ should be like and how often I fail to make it that way.

Suffering transforms our praying from a quick, "Lord, please heal this woman and comfort this family," to passionate, tearful pleas, to wrestling, to praying with a fervency that only comes as we pass through our own God-ordained fiery trials.

Suffering transforms our tears, too. I remember sharing about my Dad's death and God's providence in that whole affair with some brothers and sisters in Christ, and not of them wept with me as I shared. I felt exposed and very alone. Because sometimes the best gift we give to someone who is grieving is to simply cry with them, and sometimes the only way we're able to do that is to have suffered ourselves.

I'm not saying that our tears and prayers aren't important if they don't come from a heart that has suffered like someone else has. Every tear and every prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ is such a gift!

I am saying it is a gift from God that He transcends our sufferings beyond our own four walls and hurting hearts and uses them as instruments to minister with deep compassion to our fellow saints. We can remember this and praise Him for it, giving Him glory as we weep and pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

With love,
Trisha


***I thank you in advance for your prayers for this dear family.

By the Light of the Snowman