At times I wish I would have been spared. Now I realize that it has become a vital part of my faith journey. The affirmation that we have nothing to fear in the presence of God is a maturing and freeing moment of exhilaration. It does not mean that there are no valleys, no enemies. From the genetic formation of a child, through the dangers and snares of birth, along the dangerous paths of childhood and youth, to the risks of adult living and the illnesses that begin to emerge as our bodies age, there are no guarantees.
Life can be harsh, painful, threatening, and death lurks in the shadows and even in the sunlight.
Our reaction to the puzzled look and painful news of the doctor is always life-shaking, our collecting of the pieces when one of our family has died, our making sense of hardship is all part of the fabric of life that we weave as we go about our living. To realize, as we shall, that we are truly not alone is the one guarantee there is. Even though we feel like lost sheep trapped in a crevice, even though we are more painfully aware of the absence of God than God's tender presence, even though we walk through the darkest valley we are not alone. We will be comforted, protected and cared for at our point of greatest fear and our point of greatest anger. Robert Raines includes the following poem in his book Soundings.