Times of struggle

“Whenever you are tempted to grumble, come to Me and talk it out. As you open up to Me, I will put My thoughts in your mind.” – Jesus Calling, October 9 As a pastor, I’m called upon to create sermons each week. And one particular Sunday morning, I felt like I had a good handle on the sermon I would be giving in a couple of hours. I’d just battled a short bout of sickness, and I was beginning to perk up and have some energy. I was ready and felt pretty good about the message I planned to give.  But on the way to church, the good feelings disappeared when I learned some disturbing news about a friend I care about deeply. Both my wife and I had spent significant hours and energy to encourage this person to walk in a better direction. It hit me hard that they had willfully strayed off the...