Letter to a Friend

I would not be so presumptuous as to speak spiritual platitudes to you at a time like this. You are going through a terrible season. The kind of season that puts things into perspective. Like we fuss and fume about the small irritations of life that happen day by day, and then we or someone in the family gets a threatening diagnosis, and suddenly we realize what the "small things" really are. We learn what it really means to "not sweat the small stuff". Because we can't deal with everything. And I guess, that is all I can say. Don't try to deal with everything. Don't take on the future when it isn't here yet. (That IS a spiritual principle, isn't it…Matt. 6:34) God is giving you enough strength for the very day...the moment…you are in as it comes. Not for the future. Try to live in the day at hand.

I was going through something a while back and I found that if I seized the moment and focused on it, and said to myself, "Today, I am alive!" And became still enough to open my eyes and heart and "see" that moment in time, that it brought me a space of peace. It had to be repeated over and over. But borrowing tomorrow's pain and grief ahead of time, just makes us suffer twice. You can only handle "now".

It is horrible to see others in such need and grief all around you. The three worst things we go through over and over in life are loss, insecurity and change. Change that leaves us having to take new unknown directions. All of these produce fear. And fear is our enemy.

Just try to live life in "now" bites and draw your strength from God. Don't take on ANYTHING unnecessary regarding Christmas, housekeeping, etc. Don't sweat the small things.

Your family needs your strength just now. Don't waste it on the unnecessary. When you feel yourself sinking, choose to switch your mind to some small thing you can be thankful for and speak it out.

And guard your mind with all diligence. It is not what we have to do that robs us of our strength and peace; it is what we "think" about what we have to do.

Most of all, don't allow yourself to sink too far down into sadness and depression. I was doing that once and I felt the Lord say to me, "Marcia, climb or die." And I knew it was not a threat, but a warning…to not let myself sink too deeply.

There is a strong hand reaching down to you. Hang on. I will be hanging on with you in prayer.