Something written and emailed to readers by Anne Graham Lotz. She refers to her husband in the writing; Danny passed away within the last few months. And her mother, Ruth who died a number of years ago:

Soaring Higher

"Even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed."

~ I Peter 3:14 NKJV

"Within a period of eighteen months, I went through a cluster of storms that left me emotionally gasping for breath. From Hurricane Fran, which downed 102 trees in our yard, to the fire that consumed my husband's dental office, to my son, Jonathan's cancer and surgery, to my parents' increasingly fragile health that included multiple hospitalizations, to a home remodeling project that involved a contractor who took our money but refused to do the work, I reeled from one emergency or crises to another.

"Looking back over that eighteen-month period, my thought, confident conclusion is that God allowed the storms of suffering to increase and intensify in my life because He wanted me to soar higher in my relationship with Him--to fall deeper in love with Him.

"Faith that triumphantly soars is possible only when the winds of life are contrary to personal comfort. That king of faith is God's ultimate purpose in allowing us to encounter storms of suffering. Trust Him!"

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