For October 5th:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

As I get off the phone with two of my children that are away at college, I am reminded that no matter the age or our posts in life, there are challenges that present to each of us.  For younger ones, these challenges include peer pressures, school demands and demands from relationships.  These evolve over time, yet remain basically the same.  There are still peer pressures, though on a more mature level as well as continued relationship demands which increase as our circle of family and friends grow.  We trade school demands for pressures of the job.  Professional demands are added to our expectations of ourselves as well as those from friends and family. 

The one constant that remains throughout challenging times, no matter our age, is God’s unconditional and unending love for us.  Through faith in God and our Savior Jesus Christ, I remind myself and my children that these are temporary circumstances.  I recall the words from one of my favorite hymns written by Helen Lemmel:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of his glory and grace.

I thank God for his unending and ever present love.  I pray that no matter the circumstances, neither I nor my loved ones will forget the incredible sacrifices that have been made on our behalf.

Melinda Thedford