What 1095 days may bring

hen I took the call that Mothers' Day, little did I know what would unfold over the next three years. Where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise, as Thomas Gray once said.

Cluelessness can certainly have its advantages sometimes. So does hindsight, which provides a perspective that God will provide just-in-time delivery of the coping skills and lessons we need to make it to the next station.

As a teenager, I was deeply affected by the story of Corrie and Betsie ten Boom, Dutch sisters sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp by the Nazis during WWII for hiding Jewish neighbors. When Betsie died, Corrie, who leaned heavily on her sister for support, was overwhelmed by grief and doubt.

She then remembered a time when she sought out her father for comfort as she struggled with fears about death, particularly being martyred for her faith. His reply to her:

""When you take a train trip to Amsterdam, when do I give you the money for the ticket? Three weeks before?"

"No, Daddy, you give me the money for the ticket just before we get on the train."

"That is right," my father said, "and so it is with God's strength.

Our Father in Heaven knows when you will need the strength to be a martyr for Jesus Christ. He will supply all you need – just in time…"