FAITH, HOPE and LOVE … Corrie ten Boom is one of my favorite authors. If you haven’t read “The Hiding Place," I recommend it. It is not for the faint of heart, however. Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch watchmaker, suffers and sees suffering and evil all around her during World War II. And yet she held onto hope and faith fiercely! That faith and hope, for her, eventually triumphs over unthinkable evil. I enjoy (not sure that is the correct word) … “appreciate” historical novels about World War II and the stories of courage and faith and hope. I think that is why I read so many of them … the unbelievable hope and courage that I read about in these stories.

The demands of life and the challenging world we live in today, with news stories every night of more shootings and the current political climate … find us struggling to find hope. But I inherited a positive attitude from my sweet and faith filled mother. When, I come across someone who seems angry and frustrated, I remember her words … “Well, you just never know, maybe she was up all night with a sick child.” Ask my husband, Walter! I have often repeated her words! But those words have often helped me to step back from judgment, grab on to forgiveness, and to show love and hope. And I truly believe that no matter how difficult life may be, I know that I am not alone as God is always with me. That faith has not gone untested during difficult times in my life, but fortunately, faith has eventually won out.

So, with the long and dark days of January here, my wish for everyone is that, like Corrie ten Boom and my mother, you can find light and hope, even in the dark days of winter.

Loving and gracious God,

Help us to hold onto our faith in you. Help us to remember faith, hope and love and to know that you are always with us even in the darkest of nights and the darkest of days. In your son’s name, Amen

~Toni Medlen