What good is the warmth of summer,
without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.
-John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley
Guess it takes no onions to appreciate an onion again. Guess it takes winter for us to appreciate summer. After all, cold and gray days like today do make pictures of my summer strawberries look that much sweeter.
I continue to hear from ladies across the country who are going through hard times. Hard times. Lay offs and health issues and economic concerns have us all concerned and a little frayed at the edges. Personally, as a girl who makes a living in the oil and gas industry, this time is worrisome for me. I haven't been paid in 41 days and our freezer is emptying out by the day. Last night I got a little emotional about it. A friend reminded me that God will see us through... He's working a plan... and didn't we have everything we needed for today?
This morning, I opened the freezer and found a small bag of homegrown strawberries wedged at the back. For some reason, I felt grateful for it all. I felt like I needed to rejoice, especially today. These times of not running to the store at every craving or new recipe has me discovering those sweet, forgotten strawberries. I mean, what good are times of plenty without times of want to make them sweeter? Would we have good, sweet memories if we didn't also have unpleasant ones?
If it takes these times to appreciate the other ones, I'll take it all. God is good. I'm sure of it. He is on His throne, He has not forsaken us, and a we have a glorious, sweet hope. Everything's going to be okay.
Brin, I know you've talked about this idea before and not wanting to do it but…I've thought many times over the years that you should monetize your blog. You're a gifted writer with a talent for finding the remarkable in the ordinary and finding God where others might only see darkness. I think if you devoted yourself to this blog as a business, it would bring so many opportunities. Plenty of Christian women would gladly read your blog with ads. I think publishers would clamor to publish your memoirs, cookbooks, and/or devotionals. You could still be your own boss as you are in oil/gas, and you could do it on your terms. Sorry, not meaning to write an essay, but you have so much talent - of all the blogs I read, yours has always been the most real, honest, and restorative. Bloggers with a tenth of your talent are making a full-time job of it, and I'd love to see you gain some benefit from you work on MTL. Xo.
ReplyDeleteKacie-
ReplyDeleteWow. Dang. Thank you so much.
I've thought about it, off and on. I think, when I lost Freeman House, I kinda lost the dream, you know? That really knocked the wind out my sails, and hard. But I appreciate you chiming in, and your words are so encouraging and spirit-lifting today.
Thank you. -Brin
* foyles war .. we recently watched the entire series a third time through. love!
ReplyDelete* praying for your financial needs, that they be met to overflowing. we've been there done that - we had what we needed for the day and were sweetly surprised the next day when they were met again. praying.