Another Cold Snap

In the midwest, we've had some blasts of cold lately. Of course, we're not the only ones. The conversations about the weather across the country are long and windy in many ways. As the Weather Channel illustrates, belowing freezing temperatures for over a week are not nearly as dramatic as the 6 to 7 feet of snowfall in New York state. Winter is definitely here and it doesn't feel like it will be ending any time soon.

So, what about other "cold snaps" in our lives? Where do unexpected blasts of stress, turmoil and even tragedy freeze your heart and your faith?

Recently, the third anniversary of my mother dying came around on my calendar again. Has it been that long? After posting a few dear friends to keep me in their prayers, I managed the day fairly well. I took my Dad out to lunch and reminisced down memory lane with him for a few hours. The day came and went just like any other day does. I assumed my grief was healing and my sadness from lossing her was diminishing.

Then, almost a week later, it hit me. I stood in my kitchen cooking dinner and the old habit of picking up the phone to chitchat with her while I heated and stirred consumed me. I froze. Had it been three years since I've heard her voice?

The wise words of a dear friend came to me warmly. She told me that the loss of a mother doesn't go away because the pages of a calendar advance. My grief doesn't consume me, but the memory of her and our times together will always linger. The hope of seeing her again is much farther away than Spring, but at least I know I will see her again...someday.

The Next-Step-of-Faith Website is full of warmth through the "cold snaps" of your life. Our writers are ordinary women like you who have been through a lot and yet still have the warmth of the Love of Jesus carrying them through. Several new writers have joined us to make the site even more interesting and special. We have regular contributors for devotionals, poetry, testimonies, and even humorous excerpts from life.

No matter how cold or warm it is where you live, you can always enjoy a fresh breeze of hope and encouragement from the Next-Step-of-Faith Website . Check back soon and be sure to sign up for the monthly Relative Steps e-newsletter.