My Jar of Stones

Recently,  I began going through old writings and found this piece. It's worth reposting. During my 64 years of ups and downs, joys and sorrows, I discovered that God loves all of us, and we are His divine creation, His divine idea. It has been my personal experience that he is not the punitive God I thought He was as a child, growing up in a strict household. That took a while to sink in.  I knew God loved me but felt my failings always let Him down. And I would think, is this why I got cancer? Is this why I went through a divorce? The questions had piled up over the years, and, yes, they were weighing me down.  My journey has seemed endless at times, with twists and turns that were bumpy and crooked, frustrating and heartbreaking, but I am still here at 64. It's taken a lot of thought, prayer, listening, reading, and growing, and I can wholeheartedly announce that I finally get that God loves us—no matter what! He doesn't take it back because we act unwise or make mista...

I just  got off the phone with my oldest sister. She told me a story that delighted me. The more I thought about it, the more thrilled I became. Excitement bubbled inside of me, and I knew this was a word from God.  My sister had been praying for one of our nephews. He and his family wanted to move to her state but were still looking for a house. Despite being generous, they put in two previous home offers and lost out on both. My sister spoke to my nephew and could hear the frustration in his voice, so she did what she always does for us. She started talking to God.  I'm very familiar with her style of prayer, which is direct and to the point. I appreciate it, and I'm sure God does too. I would tire of people adding all the fluff and flowery language instead of being honest. Imagine the millions of prayers coming to Him daily. My sister finished the prayer, and suddenly, an idea came to her. She added the word  Godspeed  to the end of it. Within a few days of h...