alright and all right

By the time I woke this morning

the desperation that tormented me last night 

the ache to be held and told "it's going to be alright", 

had faded to the background.

Things are not all right,
(they can't be this side of heaven),
but I was alright.

When I looked through the mail this morning there was an envelope from a dear friend who prays for me daily and seems to know just when a card will be most helpful. I always keep her card as the last piece of mail to open. I consider it a reward, a prize, savoring it like I do my favorite dessert. When I see her handwriting I always feel encouraged. It is the next best thing to being held. 

Thank you Carole, I love you.

When I went to lunch I spoke to Miss Wanda for a few minutes to let her know I would not be at KCU tomorrow or Friday. I didn't want her to worry. I asked her to pray about a plan I need an extra measure of courage to follow through with. She encouraged me that I was making the right choice. A line was forming behind me so I began to move on, but Miss Wanda was not having any of that. She grabbed me and hugged me tight and whispered in my ear, "It's going to be alright." 

Carole did not know what this week held for me 

when she mailed that card from Ohio several days ago.

Today Miss Wanda had no idea of my struggle last night.

But God did,

and He sent reminders, 

these two and others throughout the day,

that He sees, He knows, He cares.

Living this life isn't easy.

But I am alright with that. 

I am confident that one day it is all going to be all right.

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Romans 5:1-11

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

Romans 8:26-28