When I was growing up, we used to sing a country Gospel song that went,

“Farther along we’ll know all about it,
Farther along we’ll understand why.”

Linda, who served for many years as our accountant at Guidelines Ministries, has had some of those experiences that you just can’t understand–cancer showing up in her body three times, requiring four surgeries and radiation that destroyed half of her thyroid. She’s had open heart surgery as well as five angioplasties.

In addition, because of tough problems in her daughter’s life, Linda raised her grandson since he was 22 months old. But the crowning blow was when she received a phone call one morning that her daughter’s life had been taken by two women with whom she had been sharing a house. Her grandson now had neither mother nor father.

If you met her, you’d never know Linda carries such difficulties, for she exudes love to everyone she meets. I think that’s because her heart has been made tender, not bitter, by the difficulties she’s had. When I asked her how she has coped, she told me,

My prayer was just to live long enough to raise my grandson.   God has granted that and more to me, for which I am grateful.  I believe what Paul wrote, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJ), and this promise has carried me through the difficulties without fear.

Why did all of this happen to one person? I absolutely do not know. As Linda says, “God’s ways are not ours.” But one day we will understand. And in the meantime, Linda says, “Trust the One who knows.” He is worthy of our trust.