Sierra felt full of hope and confidence in God. She knew who she was. And she knew Whose she was. Whatever mysterious plan God had for her life, it would be an interesting one. As Christy had said earlier, God writes a different story for each person. Sierra decided hers might not be a bestseller or even a thriller. It certainly wasn't a romance. But it was turning into a fine mystery. And she could live with that.

I take it that's where you met Todd.' 'Yep. Almost five years ago. Can you believe it?' 'Five years! You and Todd should be the poster couple for the 'Love Waits' campaign.' Christy laughed. 'It didn't seem that long. A lot has happened during those five years. But I do agree that true love is worth the wait. I'd wait another five years for Todd if I had to. He's the only man for me. Ever.

I've learned that everything happens for a reason," the yogi Krishnan told him. "Every event has a why and all adversity teaches us a lesson... Never regret your past. Accept it as the teacher that it is.

Typically, the louder a voice gets, the bigger the knot in my gut grows. So I have to turn my heart and mind toward our Heavenly Father and ask, "Is this pit in my stomach about today or is it about what already happened in the past or about what I'm afraid might happen in the future?

Even the things we don't understand are a display of the goodness of God.

The tricky part for me is remembering to give God all the glory and keep none for myself. That's why "we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."8 Boaz took no credit for his kindness, nor did Ruth. Even Naomi, who at first blessed the landowner, praised God when she learned the man's name. We can follow her fine example, giving God the credit for "every good and perfect gift."9

In our darkest moments, when we cry out to God and wonder if He's listening, He sometimes whispers, Wait. It's a hard word to hear yet comforting as well. It means He is there, He is with us, and He has a plan, even if it is not our plan.

Mrs. Lot was a sandwich-generation woman, not sure what life might hold for her-scared of going forward, frightened of going back.

In every life story, including our own, decisions are made in haste that determine the course of eternity.

Just as God always knew how the life of his Son would unfold on earth, God knows how our lives will unfold as well. Nothing is a surprise to him. When we stumble, however badly, he stretches out his hands, pulls us to our feet, and draws us into his embrace.

If you think you can - you can!

It is up to us in our time to choose, and choose wisely, between the hard but necessary task of preserving peace and freedom, and the temptation to ignore our duty and blindly hope for the best while the enemies of freedom grow stronger day by day.