Annie Johnson Flint

God hath not promised skies always blue,Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;

God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way;
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

Annie Johnston Flint wrote this song, If you don't know her story you need to look it up and read it. she was bedridden with arthritis, boils, sores, on and on and on for most of her life. she started out an orphan. she was stricken with more pain and suffering than i could ever imagine, and in her bed she wrote many songs like the one above. people ask me how i got through some of the things i've been through and i always tell them, Everybody's Got a Story. i'm not the only one who has problems. i'm not alone. you have a story. and i believe we all need to remind others that God is the One to turn to when we suffer. we suffer because of sin in the world. we pray and turn to God because He's the only place to go for hope and peace through it all. we read this at my mom's funeral because she lived this. she was a woman who suffered much, and laughed through it all because she had turned to the Father of hope.

God reached down through a 17-year-old young man to comfort me yesterday. A line at the end of a song touched my heart and I began to cry. I was seated and not standing with everyone. Immediately these arms wrapped around me from right behind me and held and hugged me while I dried my tears. Thank you Barbara Cunningham Campbell for raising such a loving and dear young man. Jacob never ceases to be precious to me with his friendliness and sweet manners. He always goes out of his way to say hello with a hug. He is this way with many of us. He definitely "loves the brothers" as Karl's message told us.