I walked through two months of shock as our family struggled to make sense of sin that had been done to us. The only thing that kept me facing each new day was/is the HOPE that Christ placed in my heart at salvation. What a gift. A hope that could see that testing and trials do occur in everyone's life and somehow God was and is going to make the best of it. In fact, I may even be thankful for the trial at a later date because I will have learned first hand another lesson by a faithful God.


One of the things, I have learned in this trial is that I had to give myself permission to grieve and be sad. Several times, I had to remind myself that mourning sin is ok. "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted." I had always assumed this was just in death.

I have also learned, and re-learned, that even though our 'work' is missions and ministry, there are times when something happens that we have to pause and take a deep healing breath. Friends of ours in ministry needed to take several months off of 'normal' ministry work so their baby could have surgery. Our friend still ministered and studied but it looked different than before his baby needed surgery. Now, several years later, his baby is a healthy little girl, and his ministry has grown by leaps and bounds. At the time though, it was one of his biggest trials. I look back and realize that while it may not be as obvious to others, we too have needed to give ourselves permission to recover what the enemy tried to steal. We have taken almost two months to breathe again, all the while ministering in any way we were able, just not what we were doing 2 1/2 months ago. Yet, I carefully say, with God's grace, we are moving forward. The race is not done.

Tom and I have prayed and evaluated every area of our life as a result of someone else's sin. We remain convinced that when we have done all we can, we will still stand. We stand, not on ourselves, not on our past ministry or even our calling, but we stand on the faithful promises of God who will be faithful to finish the good work He began in us.