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In The Dark Valley of Waiting: Hope Comes With the Good Shepherd.
When life’s adversity thrusts us into a valley, shadows loom large and darkness creeps in. Despair can threaten to undo us, and doubts about God’s goodness can overwhelm us. Here, in the valley of despondency, the Good Shepherd whispers, “Don’t be afraid. I see you. I am with you. I will protect and comfort you. You are mine!” As a child, I never liked being left alone in the dark. In my darkened bedroom, ordinary objects seemed larger and often took on frightening forms. A simple lamp or doll on a shelf, strangely, became a large, ugly monster. Legs that hung out of the covers or dangled over the side…
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FEAR. FRENZY OR FAITH
Walking through the grocery store yesterday I stopped to talk with a friend who was also shopping. As we chatted between the crossroads of chips and dairy, I became aware of my surrounding. “Stop and listen.” I told him. We both stopped and inquisitively looked around. The store was packed with afternoon shoppers; but no one was talking. They were quietly moving around the store loading up their carts. “Don’t you find this odd?” I asked. “That’s fear.” He observed. The day before in another larger store I came face to face with another kind of fear. It swept through the store with panic, rudeness, carts rushing the isles at…
