It was back in December of 2021 that I sensed God wanted me to pray for Knox Church to be a deeply caring community to those God placed in our path. I continue to pray a similar prayer for our church. As most of you know, we have faced many serious health issues and spiritual testing. God never promises us in His word that life will be without trials. The fact is that the ‘testing of our faith produces an enduring character.’ We do not want to be faced with difficult temptations, but the devil still seeks us out like a ‘roaring lion’. I Peter 4:12, 13 & 16 reminds us, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you, but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exaltation. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God.”

I spoke with my life long friend Conrad Lawrence today on the phone. He just spent two weeks in Aurora, Colorado, with his daughter Heidi and her son Colton. His daughter suffers from Myotonic Dystrophy; which is a rare and severe form of muscular dystrophy. All three of his children suffer from this crippling disease. None of them can work due to the effects of the disease on their bodies. Their young grandson Colton (nine years old) has a very weak heart that will need a surgical procedure in August. So Conrad and his wife Kay have become lifelong caregivers to their three kids and grandchildren. Since they are both deeply committed to Christ, we often pray that God’s grace will be sufficient for them each day. Let me close with the Matthew 6:34 reminder, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Fred Daniels