Letters to My Friend - Strength In Trials

I have written another letter, this one again about my mother. I hope it is a help to you. I apologize that I didn't get this up on Sunday. This past weekend was a difficult one for a couple of reasons.

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Dear Friend,

Well, here we are in the midst of the COVID 19 crisis. Regardless of your opinion on the subject, it's impossible to deny that there is a crisis in many countries because of it. I've seen so many things - good, bad, and indifferent - written and posted about it. People encouraging others in many ways. Churches stepping up and doing things new and strange to them, but which obviously needed to be done because...well, here we are, and God is forcing us to do them. People lamenting the loneliness, the stress, the cabin fever (as we call it in some parts). People trying hard to follow guidelines, people half-heartedly obeying the rules, and people cavalierly doing as they jolly well please. People sick and some dying. Questions, questions, questions. Very few answers that seem to be absolutely unquestionable truth. So much to say. So much to complain about. Some with much to do. Some with nothing to do. All can pray, if we will. And we can read God's word.

So many things I could write about. But something is pressing upon my mind that at first might seem unrelated.

Continue Reading.

The thousand word project: Tender Strength

Normally I don’t write much with these pictures as I want them to speak for themselves; but this picture, on this day, needs a little more explanation. I found this photo moving without any explanation. The strong arms, the tender yet almost sad look on the mother’s face touched my heart; and the photographer’s error in cutting the baby’s head off at just that spot is almost as if it were intentional to emphasize the mother. By the way, did you notice that she is wearing an apron? :-)

But, there is more to this story. 

This sweet-yet-tired faced lady was my Gramma’s step-aunt, Margaret Gallup. She was the sister of Gramma's step-mother. Gramma always felt closer to this side of the family than to her own mother's family, so, of course, my mother did too.  

Aunt Margaret was a special lady. Only months before this picture was taken, before Baby Jane was born, Aunt Margaret lost her husband. She had a daughter in her teens and a younger son and daughter.  Her oldest daughter, Helen, dropped whatever plans she had for her life and went to work to support the family so that they could stay together. Aunt Margaret submitted to this, maintained the home, and raised her children on her own. Those were tough times. God’s enabling power made all this possible, and He blessed them in many ways. 

My admiration of her is great. I’m also humbled to think that I chose the title for this picture before I even knew the whole story. It not only describes this picture, it describes the lady herself. My mom and Gramma love her dearly and esteemed her highly. Through them, I do too. I look forward to meeting her someday in Heaven.

May God bless the godly mothers, the godly wish-they-were-mothers and hope-to-be-mothers; the godly aunts, grandmothers, cousins and sisters. We need more ladies of tender strength.

1 Thessalonians 2:7  But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
Ephesians 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.