take-couragelrI might not know your story.

But I might know what you’re feeling . . . that tightening of every fiber of your being, the scream of your body, soul, and mind for relief from the tension, the fear, the spiral into darkness.

I don’t know if your stressor is depression, divorce, loss, anxiety, or the mommy responsibilities that stretch from here to eternity.

But if you’ve somehow journeyed to a place of despair, I’d like to offer you hope.

My story includes eight years on the mission field of Haiti.

Upon arrival, my husband and I took in twin Haitian toddlers and two weeks later, an eight month-old daughter.

Then the ministry collapsed. Funds were embezzled. Approval of the adoptions was denied.

Years passed without furloughs and without progress on our children’s paperwork. Two babies were born to us in the midst of the chaos that included political coups, hurricanes, robberies, and voodoo encounters. And this mom of five–once cheerful, strong, and capable–crumpled in a new world of fear, fragility, and helplessness.

By the time the Port-au-Prince earthquake of 2010 hit, both Haiti and I were at the ends of ourselves. We were broken.

But of course, the God who see sparrows fall, who knows the number of hairs on our heads, and who directs the hearts of kings still held the world in His healing hands.

Yes, panic nipped at my heels even as He opened wide the door for our family to evacuate. Anxieties followed me into the safety of a new life in the U.S. And despite the miracles I’d witnessed, the enemy used years of adrenal fatigue to whisper that I would never recover.

But the goodness and mercy of God that follows us–relentlessly pursues us–all the days of our lives (Psalm 23) did not leave me in the darkness.

Nor will His ardent love leave you there, my weary friend.

If you’d like to hear more of my story, or if you could use encouragement in the middle of yours, I’d love to gift my ebook to you. This week, Take Courage: Choosing Faith on My Journey of Fear will be available for free in PDF form. Click HERE to download Take Courage.

Should you prefer to purchase Take Courage without subscribing, it’s also available for $2.99 on Kindle and Nook.

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER