"He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." - 2 Corinthians 1:4
Reflection:
During the past four and a half months, our twins, Janie and Jonathan, have been home with us, following the temporary closure of their special-needs campus due to COVID-19. As you can imagine, they have endured the stress and sadness of missing their beloved staff and long-time friends; the strange, if not chaotic, transition to a schedule of Zoom classes instead of in-person instruction; and being "safe-at-home" instead of freely coming and going (don't we all miss this?). Some days there are tears of frustration and fear, and, like all of us, comfort and extra love is needed. And prayer.
In my office here at home, there is a lovely, old chair that belonged to my dear mother, where she often sat and prayed for my sister and me, especially when we left home for college. One of my precious reader-friends, Judy Headings, made a delicate doily for me years ago with the sweetest name in all the world very visible. I call it the "Jesus" chair, where Janie and Jonathan can take turns coming to sit with me and open their tender hearts, and where they say soft prayers in the quietude of this special space. I, too, love to sit in this cherished chair and pray for my readers who send in their prayer needs.
God, our "Abba" Father, invites us to come to Him for comfort. If what's going on in our lives matters to us, it certainly matters to Him! So, we gratefully carry our concerns, our stress, and, yes, our greatest fears to Him. Just as a kind and loving parent is always available for their children, our heavenly Father is always there for us. We can totally depend upon the One who listens to our hearts' cries and takes our hand and walks with us through these difficult times...who knows the end from the beginning.
Trusting with you in the God of all comfort,
Beverly Lewis
Writing Update:
The Stone Wall releases in just five weeks: September 8. My new stand-alone novel is set in idyllic Strasburg, Lancaster County's Amish farmland, and is unique in many compelling ways. For readers who yearn for the up-to-date activities of Old Order Amish, you'll enjoy this one, and for those who crave my page-turning plot lines (and two love stories!), you'll treasure it. And if you're interested in pre-ordering it, Christianbook is giving my readers a special offer: anyone who pre-orders a paperback copy of The Stone Wall from them will automatically receive a paperback copy of my novel The First Love. You can find that purchase link here.
My Amish Cheer greeting cards with my sister-partner, Barbara, continue to spread encouragement all over this country. Stock up on these Amish-themed, hand-crafted cards, featuring my original photography and personal backstories at: www.amishcheer.com. The proceeds for this quarter go to Crossfire Ministries (Christian food distribution center in Colorado Springs, CO).
