“At times I wish I knew the exact right words to say to someone, but I never feel like I do.  Part of me wishes that I had the ability to remove every person I know from difficult situations and circumstances of life, but at the same time, I realize that when you come out of the more difficult times, you come out a stronger person — a more matured person — a person of greater understanding.

You talked of living life in a cloud.  Of not seeing the whole picture.  And I thought of how Paul so often refers to this life as a race and we are runners.  He’s not ashamed to say that he knows there’s a prize up ahead and he doesn’t have any qualms of encouraging us to continue to keep that as our focus.  I thought of Hebrews 12:1-2:

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”

Endurance.  Since we’re so into definitions of late I figured I’d really take this word apart since I like it the most in these verses.  Endurance means: “The act, quality, or power of withstanding hardship or stress; The state or fact of persevering; Continuing existence; duration”

You know you’re in a season and you know that although the process of getting through this season is maybe slower than you expected, you will eventually move on.  And all I can say is to persevere through this time, run this race with endurance — “withstanding the hardship or stress” and continue on in faith.

You’re doing good.”

– written to a friend this past summer.