Hello, God. It's me, Mara.

You know Lord, it was interesting to read what Ms. Kathy K. was sharing about the word “yet.” She wrote: “Near the end of this month, I will turn sixty, and, though the number seems big, I know that, in the review mirror, it will shrink, as did 50, 40, 31, 21 and 16. At each milestone, I looked forward, imagining my future life. Now I can say without hesitation: almost nothing turned out as I expected.

“I can also say that I have lost my faith that things would be the way I wanted. Instead, I have found faith in the redemption promised by Jesus Christ, that ‘all things work together for good.’ (Romans 8:28).”

“When I blow out those 60 candles, my wish will be for a faith like Habakkuk’s. He saw no harvest, no future, but said, ‘Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation.’”

“We should sing a song of praise to God, no matter how you/we feel today and remember Habakkuk 3: 17, 18: ‘Even though the fig trees are all destroyed, and there is neither blossom left nor fruit, and though the olive crops all fail, and the fields lie barren; even if the flocks die in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be happy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my Strength and He will give me the speed of a deer and bring me safely over the mountains.’”

She ended by saying: “O God, I am grateful that my life, and my faith, are in Your Hands. Amen!”

And we’ll add: To all you dear ones who, in the month of August, reached 50, 60, 70 or whatever, hope you had a great day — best wishes for a wonderful year to follow!

Love, Mara