Staying with It

Whew!

It is HOT in Kansas! Some lawns are turning a crispy brown, a few trees are shedding leaves prematurely, and wide cracks are appearing in soil banks. Some of us were discussing the heat, but we agreed that this was nothing like the summer of '80. That was the summer I moved here, and though the large city from which I came was very hot, I was almost convinced I'd made a mistake. That year we had temperatures of 100° or higher for 46 days, 18 of them in a row! By contrast, the summer of 2010 has had a dozen or so, with probably just a few more on the way. The schools were not yet air-conditioned then, and the little house in which I lived did not for awhile have AC either!

But what I'd have missed if I had not stayed with it! I established firm family ties which before had been shaky. I reared my family in a comparatively safe environment. I found exceptional professional people: doctor, dentist, attorney, auto mechanic, and pastor. I met and married the love of my life. I embarked on a satisfying career, lasting even into retirement years. I am fully convinced that God is involved in the choices we make, often more intimately involved than we realize. "The LORD directs the steps of the godly [not godlike, but God-fearing]. He delights in every detail of their lives." (Psalm 37:23) I've found it so.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

Art from http://www.sxc.hu/