In my childhood measles was considered a dangerous childhood disease. When I came home from school that fateful day with those large red bumps and a high fever, Mama put me to bed in a dark room. My memories of those days have always been fuzzy. Just Mama changing the cold compress on my eyes and the room always dark. I have tried to remember drinking or eating, but I have no memory of that. It just seemed like a long time alone in the dark.

When I came home sick, it was cold. No leaves were out. No flowers blooming. Winter was still in residence with no sign of spring. Mama always said it was a long 10 days. I guess it was. But when she finally allowed me to the kitchen, I could see spring had arrived. Small leaves had appeared on naked tree limbs. Her red flowering quince was in bloom with bees buzzing in them searching for nectar. And the purple violets underneath were in glorious bloom.

It was the most beautiful thing I thought I had ever seen. And then the warm day she let me go outside! It was glorious…I don’t think I will ever forget that moment, bending down under the red quince, picking those beautiful violets. I had made it through.

And so it has been in my life. In the darkest times, when I sat day by day beside sickbeds only to release a loved one to Eternity…when our building downtown burned because of an arsonist…when my heart was broken…when I failed miserably…after those dark, dark days…always, always…

I found Abba God brought me into a beautiful, broad place. The correction or suffering or pain allowed Abba to put me where I needed to be. Those dark difficult days burned the ugly out and allowed Abba to put Himself in the empty place.The pain has always been worth it. It has been worth it because my great need for Him was revealed. And He has never failed me in any way.

He never fails any of us. It may appear He has but He has not.

I am not special. He loves us all with a great love we can’t begin to fathom.

Can I encourage you to trust Abba to take you through the dark and bring you into His light?