What does a 16 year old girl do when her parents take her to hang out with family friends in a cabin without cell service or wi-fi?  With no other teenage girls?  It probably depends on the girl, but if it is Lisa, she joins right in, playing cards and board games, playing in the snow, and even participating in laser gun wars.  But when she finds out her dad is heading to town on an errand, she gives him her phone to take with him and asks him to “do her streaks.”  Being the mother of teenagers, I am familiar with streaks.  If you aren’t, here’s an old-lady explanation:  as best I can figure, streaks are records for keeping in contact through social media.  You send and receive a message of some kind every day and watch to see how long you can go without missing.  One of my boys had a 200+ long streak. The messages don’t have to be long or even interesting.  Sometimes they might just be a scribbled “S,” (which stands for “streak” if you were wondering).  The important thing is to keep on sending and receiving them.

It is a new year.  Many of us have been thinking about the things we want to do better in 2020.  One of the biggest difficulties with healthy habits is keeping them going, being consistent.  Have you ever tried to do something every day?  It is a challenge.

I have been thinking about that concept of “daily.”  The prayer Jesus taught to His disciples includes a request that God give us “our daily bread.”

“Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.  Give us each day our daily bread.  Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. …”  Luke 11:2-4

I have heard those words way more times than I can count, but it wasn’t until I was listening to one of Pastor David’s sermons last year that I made the connection between “daily bread” and the manna that God provided for the Israelites.

Remember, when they were traveling around in the desert, a place where finding food could be challenging, God provided this mysterious food substance every day, “daily bread”.  “The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin.  The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar.  They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves.  And it tasted like something made with olive oil.  When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.”  Numbers 11:7-9  It was miraculous.  It was nourishing.  It was daily.  After a while though, the Israelites got tired of the daily manna.  You might say it became more of a daily grind than a daily miracle.  They wanted something else, and they complained.  Numbers 11 tells us about this.  Let me summarize by saying that they got what they wanted, but it didn’t really turn out to be a good thing.

I see some parallels to our lives.  Jesus said we should ask for “daily bread.”  He also said that “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  (Matthew 4: 4).  He compared himself to the manna that God provided for the Israelites.  “Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’” (John 6:32-33).

Jesus is the bread of life, the Word of God.  He is what we need to live and be nourished.  Connecting to Jesus is like manna.  It is miraculous.  It is nourishing.  It can be daily.  Jumping back to the Lord’s prayer, it seems like maybe it should be daily.  “Give us this day our daily bread.”

How often do we forget how truly amazing the opportunity to spend time with Jesus is?  How often does it become more of a daily grind than a daily miracle?  Guess what?  That’s human nature.  I love something C.S. Lewis said about starting with duty and changing to desire. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the actual quote, but his point was that the exercise of a healthy spiritual habit leads to a changed heart, a heart that delights in the habit as an act of love for God.  I have struggled over the years with whether daily devotional time should be on my “to do list.”  I don’t want it to be a motion that I go through, devoid of meaning.  On the other hand, it is important to me to consistently spend time with Jesus, and if it isn’t planned, there is a lot lower likelihood that it will happen.

The streaks idea struck me-I am just keeping my streaks with Jesus!  Part of it is the consistency and the daily, but underneath is the desire for connection.  I am building a foundation for that all-the-time togetherness that I have referenced before, like Brother Lawrence the 3^rd century monk whose writings inspired Practicing the Presence of God.”

My challenge to you is to get into the habit of daily connection with Jesus, even if it is brief.  Use a short devotional, sit for 5 minutes of prayer, read a Bible passage, dedicate your morning commute-you choose what seems like it will work best.  (The YouVersion Bible app will even count streaks for you!) And don’t give up if you lose your streak.  It’s OK to start over.  Remember the verse from Lamentations?

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:22-23

That’s the awesome thing about God-He never loses His streaks.  He is always connecting.

Happy New Year!

God, thank You for the amazing opportunity to connect with You.  Thanks that You have promised that when we seek You, we will find You.  When we call, You always hear and answer.  You are what keeps us going; You are our daily bread.  Please give us the desire to meet You every day.  Help us to be intentional about setting aside time for You.  Speak to us and enlighten us.  Change us.  Make us like Jesus.  Thank You for Your consistency, that You never forget or get too busy to be with us.  We pray in the name of Jesus today and every day.  Amen.

– Leah

It’s easy to believe in and trust in God when everything is sunshine and roses, right? But what about when life is hard and messy? What about when things don’t go the way we think they should? How can the attributes and character of God that are found in His Word be consistent with the adverse circumstances we face? 

This week, I was going to write about the inspiration I felt while watching the movie Overcomer with friends. I had some thoughts that seemed like they may be worth sharing, and I was looking forward to writing about Jesus’ sheep knowing His voice and following Him. However, this morning, as I was reading in an advent devotional, my heart was moved to share something a little more personal.

I have looked forward to being a mom for as far back as I can remember. I love children. I love to be around them, I love the energy they have, I love the silly things they say, and I love watching them learn and grow. I feel all the maternal instincts. As I finished college, settled into a teaching job, and served in my local church, I believed with all my heart that God would bless me with a husband and children if I just kept following Him. After all, one of the verses that has anchored my life says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) 

Year after year passed. I was still single, and I saw the time slipping away. Pretty soon, I was 30 and then 35. No husband, no children. Where was God, and what was taking Him so long? Where were “all these things” that I hoped would be added to me? Faith and trust became things that I had to fight for. I struggled to believe that God hadn’t forgotten about me. I clearly remember sitting at my dining room table one day. It was a snow day, usually the cause for much celebration for teachers. As I sat there, a thought lodged itself in my head and heart – “I would’ve been a great mom.” The darkness and grief that followed lasted for several years after that. I grieved the loss of children that I had never given birth to. That probably sounds strange, but it is the best way I know to describe what happened in my heart.

In God’s providence, I met my husband when I was 39, and we married a couple of months before my 41st birthday. He was and is a gift to me that I hope to never take for granted. God knew just who and what I needed, and in His timing, He gave me all that my heart longed for in a husband. This man never ceases to amaze me with His love for me and His love for God. He is a daily, tangible reminder to me of God’s love and faithfulness, and for that I am so thankful. 

Even though according to His Word, God’s timing is perfect, for me, that perfect timing didn’t really include the possibility of having children. We were both well past the normal age for becoming new parents, and after 13 months of marriage, Aaron became a bi-vocational pastor. What that word ‘bi-vocational’ means to us is that between full-time jobs and full-time ministry, we have very full hearts and very full schedules. We love serving our church, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to do so. 

If I’m being completely honest, in my heart, there’s still an empty space. I’ve had so many occasions to work with children and to love them well. I had the privilege of teaching for 18 years and  leading an inner-city children’s ministry for more than 10 years. I poured into the lives of many children, and I hope that many of them were positively impacted because of God’s love for them being channeled through me. Yet there remains an empty space.

So, how do I reconcile that empty space with God’s character? When my circumstances aren’t what I would have chosen, how can I still believe that God’s plans are best? Now that most of my days are spent with no interaction with children, what do I do with the longings of my heart? Is God really good? Does He care?

It’s in these moments that I must answer the most important question – Do I trust Him? Is He trustworthy? 

Thankfully, throughout Scripture, there were many who faced the same questions. Think of Joseph. His dreams told him that he would be so great that even his family would bow to him. But he was sold into slavery and then spent years in prison. Years later, what was his response to the brothers who had wronged him?

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:20)

What about the Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego? They were living to please God, and they refused to worship an idol. Their choice to obey God resulted in their being tied up and thrown into a furnace. Their response? 

“…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)

There are so many others, but my favorite just might be Habakkuk. He sees and clearly describes the atrocities that are happening to his people (which will only get worse). His response?

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18) 

This is where faith, trust, and worship begin. Those things are possible because I know in my heart that God is good. He is still writing my story, and I don’t know yet how it will end. I can anchor my heart in the truth of His Word and in His unchanging character. He has promised good to me, and I believe that all the empty spaces and heartache are part of His good plan. In the end, it’s not about me, but it is all about how my life will bring Him the most glory. 

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

“We, then, ought to be utterly free from the impatient pressures of worry and ambition, from any doubt in His ability, and from feeling as though the clock is winding down or the window closing on His opportunity to act.” (Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, Consider Jesus, pp.131-132)

“He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'” (Hebrews 13:6-7)

Maybe for you it’s not childlessness. Maybe it’s cancer, divorce, singleness, or the loss of a loved one. Will you do something brave with me today? Let’s take our empty spaces, our heartache, our unfulfilled longings, and our hard questions and lay them at the feet of Jesus. “Faith is the next thing after surrender.” (Hannah Whitall Smith, A Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life)

Dear Father, our hearts cry out with the desperate father in Mark, “I believe, help my unbelief!” We confess that sometimes it’s hard to reconcile the reality of our circumstances with the truth of Your goodness and faithfulness. Would you help us to surrender the things we don’t understand, and would you help us to trust that Your ways are perfect? Please fill up our empty spaces with Your nearness and sufficiency. Thank you for being a wise and loving Father Who does all things well. My prayer this week is for those reading this who are struggling with hard things that they can’t understand. Please wrap Your loving arms around them, and remind them that You have promised never to leave or forsake Your children. Amen.

“Mom, would you read this book with me?”  I looked to see what book he had found and was delighted to see that it was The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, one of my favorites.  It was getting close to bedtime, and there was still laundry to fold and lots that should be done, but I sat with him and we took turns reading, one page each.  And he was up at 6:30 the next morning, even though there was no school, holding the book and asking with his eyes if we could read again.  It wasn’t on my morning schedule, but we made time for one chapter…

Maybe you are familiar with this book and its story about a Christmas pageant hijacked by a very rough-around-the-edges set of six siblings.  Somehow the Herdman kids decided they wanted to be part of the traditional re-enactment of the Christmas story, and their participation shook things up.  The main parts were taken by Herdmans.  Instead of looking holy and clean, Mary and Joseph “looked like the people you see on the six o’clock news – refugees, sent to wait in some strange ugly place, with all their boxes and sacks around them.”  The angel of the Lord, played by the youngest Herdman, shouted her announcement, “Hey!  Unto you a child is born!” with great vigor, “as if it was, for sure, the best news in the world.”  And instead of bringing frankincense and myrrh, the wise men carried in the ham that they had received in their food basket.  In one last unexpected moment, as the choir sang the words “Son of God, love’s pure light,” from “Silent Night,” Imogene Herdman, in her role as Mary, sat with tears streaming down her face.  “Christmas just came over her all at once, like a case of chills and fever.”

That first exposure to the message that God loved and that He came amazed even the Herdmans, and it re-kindled a sense of awe in the church people who had grown so used to the story that it had lost much of its meaning.

Many of us also have grown up hearing the recounting of Jesus’ arrival in our world, and because of the familiarity and repetition we have lost our wonder at its power and beauty.  We aren’t surprised any more that God’s Son was born in a shed, to common people and that it was God’s plan that it happened that way.  Shepherds and wise men are part of our nativity scenes, but we don’t grasp the significance of their responses to the message that God was here, on earth, a human baby.  Too bad we don’t have more Herdmans around celebrating with us!

As I pondered how much joy it brought me to have Jack seek me out to read with him, and to have it be a book that I love, I thought of God.  How delighted is He when you and I seek Him out and participate with Him in something that He values!  It is never our Father who has to decide if He has enough time to sit and spend with us, He is always willing.  We are the ones who have to choose to put aside our busy-ness and our agendas and be present.  What a gift that is!  A gift to us, but also a gift back to the Giver.  Unfathomable as it is, the God of the universe wants to connect with us.

There are plenty of ways to be where He is and participate with Him in things that He values, but may I suggest a starting place for today?  Just like Jack and I sat and read together, what if we make time to sit with our Father and read this Advent story together?  With new eyes, with hearts ready to experience the love that inspired it and that still flows through it.  After all, God called Him Emmanuel. 

“‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’). “  Matthew 1:23

God. with. us.

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire^[a] should be registered. ² This first registration took place while^[b] Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

⁴ Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem

, because he was of the house and family line of David, ⁵ to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him^[c] and was pregnant. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷ Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger,^[d] because there was no guest room available for them.

The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸ In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.^[e] 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:^[f] 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host^[g] with the angel, praising God and saying:

¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to people he favors!^[h][i]

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

¹⁶ They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

God, we are filled with awe and wonder and love.  You went to such great lengths to meet our need for connection with You.  The detail and the perfection with which You carried out Your redemption plan amaze us, and the love that inspired it is more than we can comprehend.  Ignite our hearts with Your love this Christmas.  Fill us with Your Spirit, so we can walk through this coming week with hearts that are full of Your peace and Your good will toward men.  Protect us from the frustrations of unmet expectations.  Let us expect nothing more than to see Jesus.  Give us Your comfort as we feel the absence of loved ones we wish were celebrating with us.  May each of us give You the gift of spending time being present in Your presence.  That is an incredible gift to us.  We are thankful.  We pray in the name of our Savior, Jesus.  Amen.

-Leah

 

One of the reasons that Christmas is such a special time of the year is because it is a season of time set apart for remembering and celebrating the coming of Jesus. In the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, we need to be reminded to stop and reflect. The coming of Jesus brought hope into despair, light into darkness. Something to celebrate for sure!

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” (Isaiah 9:2, ESV)

Those are the words of one of the many Messianic prophecies in Isaiah. Beautiful words about the coming of Jesus. When we were lost in darkness, the Light of the world came to us. 

“Though He (Jesus) was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, He gave up his divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.” (Philippians 2:6-7, NLT)

Those verses always blow my mind. Christmas reminds me to pause and ponder these truths. Redeeming our fallen world was more important to Jesus than clinging to equality with God. In humility, He gave up His divine privileges. He gave. That makes me think of another verse, one that is probably the most well-known verse in the Bible.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NLT) 

How did God demonstrate His love for the world (for all of us)? He gave. He gave us Jesus. There’s a reason why that verse is so well-known. It’s really the central truth of the entire Bible. We have a tendency sometimes to over-complicate things, but here we see a very simple yet profound truth. Please don’t let its familiarity overshadow its precious significance. Why did Jesus come? He came because God knew the fallen condition of humanity, and His love compelled Him to act. Love gives. Love gives sacrificially and selflessly.

As gifts are exchanged this Christmas, let’s not overlook the matchless Gift that God, the perfect Giver, has given to us – Jesus. Emmanuel, God with us. He left His majesty in heaven to come humbly as a helpless baby Whose ultimate plan was to give His life so that we could be forgiven and free.

“For to us a child is born; to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, ESV)

This is how God showed His love for us: He gave. This is how God continues to show His love for us: He keeps on giving. 

Dear Father, thank You for Your love that gives. We are amazed and humbled at the gift of Jesus – Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. May the reality of every one of those descriptive names fill our hearts with hope and gratitude as we ponder what the birth of Jesus means to us. I pray for every person reading this – that You would bless them and their families this Christmas. May You keep on giving them good and perfect gifts as a reminder of Your incredible love for them. Amen.

-Dana

On Saturday, June 23, 2018, after soccer practice, twelve Thai boys and their coach went exploring in the Tham Luang cave. This is a big cave, it extends for more than 6 miles beneath a mountain range in Thailand. It is well-known, and often visited. However, during monsoon season (which starts in July), the cave can flood up with up to 16 feet of water and going in becomes dangerous and often impossible.

You may remember this story. The boys encountered flooding and ended up moving deeper into the cave to get away from the water. They eventually stopped on a rocky ledge more than 2 miles from the cave entrance. They were trapped. Water all around. Darkness. Nothing to do but wait for rescue.

A rescue operation was launched. Word spread around Thailand and eventually worldwide. Rescuers from Thailand were joined by US Air Force recue specialists and cave divers from many countries. The Thai government set up pumps to try to move water out of the cave. People around the world prayed that the boys and their coach would survive.

Pouring rain made conditions miserable outside the cave and more and more dangerous inside for the divers who were searching. On June 28, 2018, a social media post read: “divers have stopped searching-water levels have risen to fill most caves. Pumping has stopped-too much rain. Authorities say they will rethink strategy for finding missing boys.”

On Monday, July 2, two divers finally located the boys. The lost had been found! There is actually a video of that moment. “How many of you?” and the answer, “Thirteen!” They were all alive, 9 days later! Now to get them out.

Diving in Tham Luang was dangerous. Extracting the weak and hungry children was a monumental task. While preparations were made, divers took in air tanks and liquid food and fortified drinks to sustain the boys. On Friday, July 6, one of the rescuers, a former Navy Seal diver, died during an air delivery.

Miraculously, there was a break in the rain, and the decision was made to make the move to bring the boys and their coach out.

Each boy had a full face mask for oxygen, had a cylinder strapped to his chest, and a handle of sorts on his back. He was clipped to one diver and accompanied by another diver. From a BBC report, “At the narrowest sections, the divers had to unstrap their air tanks in order to squeeze through, while also pulling along their precious cargo.”

The first of the boys was brought out, alive, on July 7. They were all rescued over the next 3 days, and as the last of the boys and their coach were being shuttled out, the waters began to rise, as quickly as 11 inches per hour by one rescuer’s report. And as the last of the rescuers were leaving the cave, a pump suddenly stopped working and floodwaters filled the cave.

A Facebook post from the Thai Navy Seals: “We are not sure if this is a miracle, a science, or what.”

I remember praying fervently and frequently for those boys. I am pretty sure it was a miracle.

By now you know that I love stories, and I love thinking about them in light of The Story. Right away, as this story unfolded, I began seeing the parallels to Jesus’ rescue of us. Each of us was trapped. In the dark, without any way to get ourselves to light and life. God loved the world, each of us. Just as the boys and their coach mattered enough to garner the resources and the prayers necessary to undertake an incredibly difficult and costly rescue mission, we matter to God. He sent the only Rescuer who could navigate the darkness, willing to die in the process, to bring us out and give us a “new birth.” It is all about Him-like the Thai boys, we couldn’t even help in the swimming to get ourselves out, we just had to let Him carry us.

This rescue plan, put into place thousands of years previous (as evidenced by Bible prophecy) started with the Advent of Jesus. That miraculous event that we are celebrating at Christmas.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem (rescue) those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4

At just the right time…

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7

Just sit with those verses for a minute.

I find so often in following Jesus that there is the big, followed by lots of smalls. Let me explain. There is the big rescue-that allowing Jesus to carry you by way of His amazing sacrifice from death and darkness to light and abundant, eternal life. And then, there are all the little rescues that follow-allowing Jesus to carry you from discouragement or frustration or anger or sadness to light and peace and hope. The big rescue plays out on a smaller scale over and over in our lives.

It happened again for me this week.

A student about whom I have come to care very much moved away unexpectedly. I was sad. I was worried about what would happen to him, if he would be OK. Lots of unknowns in my mind, and not one thing I could do to change the situation. Forgive the repetition, but I was sad. In my sadness, one of my friends texted me, “The truth we need to hear in this situation is that God can get a hold of his heart without us.” I had a choice. Would I believe the truth and allow myself to be carried away from sadness to trust and hope? It took some pondering, but I chose to believe. I choose to believe. God is a rescue expert.

Psalm 18:16-19 “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.”

And Psalm 118:5 “When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place.”

Many times as we live our lives we find ourselves stuck in a tight place emotionally, in deep waters. God wants to take hold of us in those moments and rescue us. He has a spacious place that is much better than the dark, cramped spots we can get into. We have a choice. Will we believe and allow ourselves to be brought out?

Please choose rescue. Choose the ultimate rescue from sin and death. Then, choose the rescue from the thoughts and feelings that trap you. God has been known to go to great lengths, like parting seas and knocking down walls, to set His people free.

Awesome God, I am amazed by Your love. Love that reaches out and rescues. Love that sent Jesus and that continues to send help. Thank You. Please help me to choose not to linger in darkness but to accept Your rescue. I pray for each person who reads this, that they would choose Your rescue. Speak to their hearts and lead them to the new birth You offer. For those who have already been adopted into Your family, remind them of Your offer of light and peace and hope to replace sadness and anger and despair. Especially during this season where we remember the coming of Jesus but where we also encounter much stress and overwhelming emotion, be near us. “Thank You” doesn’t seem like enough. Hear my heart – thank You.

“For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.” Psalm 116:8

-Leah