Spiritual lessons rarely come easy for anyone. Usually, we learn the lessons that spiritual mothers and fathers learned before us, lessons they figured out the hard way, just like we do. But once internalized, these spiritual truths give us the strength to endure the hard times with grace. These realities give us the fortitude to resist temptation, stand for truth, resist fear, and resolutely abide in Christ. I feel like such a slow learner. I have to repeat homework and retake the spiritual tests over and over. But I have discovered that this is part of the process. How many repetitions does it take to make a bodybuilder strong enough…

God is radically faithful. We spend our lives relying on the steady rotations of the earth. Each day comes with absolute regularity. Seasons pass, each bringing its colors and pleasures. For most of my life, I took these absolutes upon which I based the rhythms of my life entirely for granted.  I established my plans around the days, weeks, months, and years without considering that I  absolutely counted on their presence. My entire life depended on God’s faithfulness without my awareness of it. As I moved into being a wife and a mother, so much depended on developing the ability to be faithful. And as the years spun through their…

Intimidation seeks to terrify, though the technique used to browbeat others is often just a smokescreen for weakness. The one word I would use to describe my ex-husband, at least while we were married, is intimidating. I did not question my fear until much later. My frame for my ex gradually changed from Sauron to Gollum; both pose a threat, but one is more pitiful than terrifying. As I contemplated this particular post, I recalled the instinctive response my body had whenever he came into the room. Years of recovery have not erased the body memory of that gut-level fear. I carry tension, often unconsciously, and am hypervigilant to my…