Refreshment along the journey.
They called him Big John. And he teased my older brother without mercy every day during our long bus ride home from elementary school. This charade went on for weeks, building to a final breaking point on a hot spring day. Finally, the fight was set. My brother and Big […]
It took about two weeks before my son realized he’d probably never see his little friend again. He had been invited to the boy’s birthday party and talked about going every day leading up to the big bash. The two often played together at school. But at some point before […]
Some moments in life take on a much deeper meaning long after the fact. It’s a humbling truth: We’re often too blind to the realities standing right before us. More than 13 years ago, I had the privilege of crossing paths with a young Muslim man in search of truth. […]
The sun had been up over the horizon for at least an hour. Perhaps the daylight warmth through the windows stirred me out of my slumber. Or perhaps it was the stillness of the car on the side of the empty highway, interrupted only by the rattle from an occasional […]
He’s not the man I married. And that’s okay. We were older when we married, as things typically go. I’ve come to terms with that. There are advantages to marrying at both ends of the spectrum, young and old. However, we married not that long ago and yet looking back […]
A preacher’s kid. A daughter whose parents were very involved in church. But by 16 years old, she left home feeling cheated that the church had stolen her parents from her. Tonya Craig spent decades trying to numb the pain from her childhood. “They weren’t involved in me. And that’s […]
She holds her hands above her eyes, marveling at how her fingers wiggle about or how she can rotate her fists from side to side. She grabs her thumb with the other hand and squeaks in delight. At four months old, hands are a novelty. She is in awe. And […]
Today, I am grateful for this man. Today, I am grateful for what he poured into my life through his gentle, quiet spirit. Today, I am grateful for what he offered me: a place to always come home to, an anchor to my soul. Today, he would have turned 90. […]
She sat there on the exam table stunned as the words were pronounced. The bewildering cloud that now hung in the air had immobilized her. The next action should have been simple: Just stand up. But the brain couldn’t think of that. The news they were just given had sucked […]
"Pray for my arm, mama. Pray for my arm." I almost missed the moment, small as it started out. To most, it was no big deal, really. But as the cloud of mindless distraction dissipated, I realized the largeness of his request. It was the first time he had asked […]