“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
    I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord, your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior (Isaiah 43: 1-3 NLT).

Last evening was the longest night, the shortest day of light.

Winter always reminds me of the sorrow I experienced during this season and the deepest winters of my life. It was February 3rd when my first husband entered eternity, four years later, on January 31, my second husband entered eternity. I had hope, for I believed God had a plan for each of them as well as myself. That didn’t make my grief any easier, however. It was still dark and lonely. But during those sad empty nights, I treasured words like those above. Even though I didn’t like being in those days, I never felt closer to God. He was with me.

As the greatest sorrows took place in winter, so did great joy. For ten years ago, God gifted me with Jim and together we exchanged wedding vows.

We each understand sorrow and loss and we hold our days together lightly in our hands, despite that  sometimes, my stomach clenches when I wonder what I would do without Jim? And then the above passage of God’s word assures me, “I will be with you.”

Years ago, when I was alone, a writer friend pointed out to me that our lives are full of hills and valleys where joy and sorrow intersect each other. Right now, I’m on the mountain top of joy.

What can I tell you if you are going through the valley part of your life? Grab on to the promise of our Savior who wept in spite of the knowledge that his friend, Lazarus, now dead would be brought back to life (John 11:1-45).

You may not sense His presence, but He is there.

I encourage you to immerse yourself in the beautiful words God gave us in the Bible. Get it out. Read it out loud. Ask God to speak to you and he will.

Ten years and 15 days ago, Jim and I exchanged vows to love and cherish each other. And we do.

I heard the words when I was deep in grief to “lean into the grief”, to let the sorrow envelope you like the waves of the ocean. Work with it, and you will move through it. You will be stronger for it.  Remember God–Jesus Christ–promised to be with you. Pray a simple prayer asking God to forgive you and that you believe He is God and loves you. Accept His gift of eternal life. It is offered to all when we believe in Him.

Enjoy one of my favorite newer Christmas carol:

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