Adrea LaRoche

From what I have seen and heard and experienced in the past 7 months, 2010 has been a tough year for a lot of people. One friend recently said that we should all have a party together for New Year’s Eve to say a big so-long to it. But when I really think about it, there has been a lot of good this year too… It’s a challenge to accept that good often comes through suffering… Some things are easier than others to anticipate the good that will come… But it’s in those times when we can’t anticipate it or see it, or even comprehend what good may come that faith is really tested. Faith is believing in what we can’t see… And with such a thin veil that separates us from the unseen, transcendent, just-as-real world, the good and the blessing may be right in front of us, as close as the end of our noses! What a call to believe that the good is right there in front of us, but we have to go through the difficulty before our eyes are developed enough to be able to see it!

I don’t know if that’s encouragement for anyone else, or if it makes sense to anyone besides me, but I hope that there is a glimmer of encouragement for you in that. I have to choose to look back on the first half of 2010 and remember something good for each of the difficulties I’ve been through. For me, there have been times of brokeness, asking a lot of deep questions of identity, calling, direction…. Sickness in my family, good-bye to an amazing woman in my family… Friends whose marriages are falling apart, divorces started, divorces finalized… My own expereince as my purse was stolen from my own space and I became one of the many Americans who are victims of identity theft – plus all of the unexpected feelings that come with that… And then the challenge to actually forgive whoever did it! But there have also been some of the most amazing worship times and experiences for me. There is a lot of heavy heartedness going around… But oh how He loves us! We have been asked to cast ALL our cares, anxieties, and frustrations onto the One who can handle them best… I hope and pray for all of us that the difficulties of 2010 will lead us to recognize the blessings we do have and the One who loves and never leaves us. Take a few minutes to comment on this blog and share how your 2010 has been or any thoughts you may have – Maybe we can have some community on here and be able to pray for each other… Hang in there my friends!