He is near...

The above picture is not perfect by any means.  To the professional photographer there would be plenty to critique.  To me...it's perfect.  Sarah is one of my most treasured friends on this earth.  She is my partner in crime.  We do life together.  We laugh, we cry, we encourage, we celebrate, and now, we mourn together.  This past weekend she lost her sister unexpectedly.  To see someone you care about suffer, is one of life's most difficult things.  In the picture above we are trying to stand in the sun, so we could get the perfect lighting, hence all the shadows.  It's actually the perfect picture of this life.  We are 2 friends seeking to "stand in the light of the Son", and yet, in this world life and it's difficulties cast it's shadow over the joy of the Lord, and it challenges the promises that we are given from His word. As we mourn, our smiles may be dampened for a time, but we trust He is near and in time will renew our strength.  Praying for her and her precious family.

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous

    and his ears toward their cry.

16 

The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,

    to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears

    and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted

    and saves the crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:15-18

So we do not lose heart. 

Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18