Recently my husband and I have moved to a new town, purchased a house and acreage after renting for 5 years, and both have new jobs.  At first it was golden, wonderful, amazing, fun. Then it gets hard, the fun is gone, it is sweat and tears and hard, hard work.  Right now, a month into it, we are hard pressed on every side. My horse was unwell for three days to the point I was worried I was going to lose her. My dog ran away for hours, the chimney caught fire, the basement was full of water…. It was hard. I cried a lot. I called out to God to relieve me, to comfort me. The heaven’s seemed silent, closed. The world was harsh and cold and dangerous all around me.  Life stormed hard. I thought of Job many many times in a day. 

             Then the Lord comforted me in a dream that my horse would be ok. That very day she took a turn for the better and has been eating ever since.  We got the chimney cleaned and now the house is warm again. My husband and I sat on the stairs and I cried and told him how hard it all was and he listened and comforted me. Work is hard for him right now too. New jobs are hard. You feel so out of sorts and scattered.

             After a couple long calls with my sister and best friend, the world looks hopeful again. I read through the beginning and the end of the book of Job.  God answers Job in all his pain and confusion and asks him if he was there when the world was created, the seas laid out, the stars strung?  God is so much bigger than our problems! He created my horse’s incredible digestive system and He can heal her. He gave us hands and brains so we can fix our problems, solve a puzzle and get that chimney swept. He gives us technology to speak with dear friends and family miles and miles away for encouragement and prayer.  God is good! Read the end of Job. God gives back to Job so much! God cares for us even when it looks so hopeless and is so hard.

May we patiently endure our trials and praise our God!