April 9
Scripture: James 1:17
Source author: Mona Rottinghaus
April 19
He Has My Collar! With a strong hand, God grabs my shirt. He grips me by the collar of my coat. —Job 30:18
Your daughter has schizophrenia; the next two years will be very difficult.” Words spoken by the doctor were tucked into my heart. As her illness progressed, I immersed myself in education. I devoured books about mental illness along with my Bible, devotionals, and other writings. Each breath was a prayer for my Kathy. In addition, I turned to my personal army of prayerful supporters. The diagnosis was shared, along with my grocery list of prayer requests: Kathy to accept her need for medication. Kathy to understand her diagnosis. Wisdom and understanding for me. My life was reduced to a constant stream of meetings with doctors, therapists, and social workers sandwiched between caring for Kathy, my business, and our home. But in the midst of my pain, I felt loved. My wounds were bound by prayers, a casserole shared, and friends devoting their time to attend to our needs. The garment of love was draped around our
shoulders, warming my soul. Each morning I prepared myself for the challenges by inhaling God’s promise of His faithfulness.
Thank you, dear Father, for the grace to see you in the midst of our busy daily existence. — Mona Rottinghaus —