Have you ever prayed for patience? Do you remember why you wanted it? If so, what was the result?

It can be very difficult to find peace in the chaos and calamities of life. If you’re in a busy and loud season or a quiet and somber one, peace often seems to be the first thing that goes missing. How can you find peace “when sea billows roll”?⁠

My niece and I were out for breakfast a month ago. She shared a passage of Scripture with me that she had been meditating on. The verse mentioned joy so I asked her what she thought having joy meant. It created a neat conversation.

The news has been overwhelming lately. It can cause us to feel helpless to the massive needs out there. But take heart. God is not silent in these times. He reaches out where we can’t. Here are a few ways:

“… Love’s flames are fiery flames – the fiercest of all. Mighty waters cannot extinguish love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all his wealth for love, it would be utterly scorned. ” – Song of Songs 8:6-7 Love is powerful. It helps us overcome so many hardships in relationships. It draws people together. It’s a strong characteristic and emotion that God has given us in order to love Him and love others in return of the love He shares with us. We don’t love apart from God’s love.

Leaves produce oxygen, light, and sound. We are to be Jesus’ light to the world. We are to share the ‘oxygen’/gospel we have received to the world. We are called to sing praises of worship to our Lord. We can all do this by tapping into the True Vine.

The trunk of a tree is a great portion of its strength. The roots build a sturdy foundation underground and the trunk continues to build the strength above it. As the tree ages, the trunk gets higher and wider. The trunk tells the story of how old the tree is. It also holds characteristics of the kind of tree that it is.  For example, a maple tree has red markings on the inside of the trunk.

As I was praying about and developing the beginnings of Hope Through Hard Times, I thought about the word hope. What were some symbols that best represented that word? As I did some research, a plant coming out of hard ground resonated most with me. I expressed this idea to my sister-in-law who in turn created our beautiful logo. It wasn’t until a little bit later that the Lord showed me the significance of that logo and the idea behind it.

As this ministry grows, the Lord continues to remind me of where it all began. He brings me back to a specific place and time, a beautiful sunny day in the northwest area of Haiti in 2008.

Our bodies and minds are tired and many of us are ready for a vacation. Even if you’ve been off work for a while, the stress of the unknowns have left many fatigued. It’s a good reminder that rest is so important. Our holistic selves are not meant to go full throttle all the time. It is healthy to take time out to refresh yourself. The Lord actually commanded it.