Dogs are a chick's best friend!

RIP Buddy the Wonder Dog

This time last week, I was grieving my brown-eyed best friend of 15 + years. I knew it was going to be difficult to say Good-Bye to Buddy, especially after all we've been through together; I just didn't realize it would be as difficult as it has been. I've always thought to myself that people who got this hung up on a pet were a little off, if you know what I mean, but now I am one of those people and I realize how "on" those others were all along. Now, I have heard people say it's like losing a child, and because I have lost 4 babies in pregnancy, I would have to say this isn't the case for me. If one of my living children were to pass on now, well, I don't even want to imagine that. I know I wouldn't be able to function for quite some time; but nevertheless, this has been a tough loss.

Things that used to bug me were now making me cry. I vacuumed the house and of course the vacuum sucked up a whole mess of Buddy's wiry black hair that he was known for shedding all over the place. Now when I find these little "dust-buddies" I want to save them all! ;-) I've never seen popcorn on the floor for very long, because if it ever fell, Buddy was quick to grab it up. I saw a pile of popcorn on the floor in the kitchen where Jackson had been eating some. The pile of popcorn made me cry. (Aren't you glad you don't live with me?)

On Thursday evening, after barely getting any work done and crying over just about everything (like when I dropped a piece of popcorn and immediately looked for Buddy to come munch it up, and then realized he wouldn't, and then I couldn't eat anymore popcorn), I decided to do something really, really...um... stupid.

I decided to see if there were any dogs looking for a home. 

I didn't really anticipate finding one, but I thought that maybe seeing other dogs who needed homes would give me some cheer in thinking about maybe...down the road...possibly....getting another dog for our family. I definitely didn't expect to see this:

She was so stinking cute, so I just had to text the number given and see if she was still available. With her being so cute, I figured someone had already claimed her. The woman on the other end of the phone texted me back right away and said she was still available. We talked on the phone and decided we'd meet up the next day. 

Now, I still didn't really think I was going to be getting a dog. I thought that maybe we'd just take one step at a time and see about the possibility of maybe getting a dog. 

I was a little hesitant, but since I had just made a tentative appointment to meet her and on my anniversary no less, I figured I should probably let Stephen in on what had taken place while he was in another room for a few minutes. (That'll teach him to ever leave me alone for 5 minutes-ha ha!) He's such a good friend. Although he wasn't enthusiastic about changing our plans for the next day around or the idea of getting a puppy ( = lots of work after having a very easy going adult dog for so long), I think he was just happy that I could string more than a few words together coherently without sobbing. So, he agreed to think about maybe going to see her the next day. 

As I thought about her I prayed about her, too. I also let my sister in on my little secret and asked her to pray as well. (Sisters are the BEST for secrets!) I admit that I don't trust God perfectly, but I have learned to trust Him at least enough to know that if something isn't good for me, I need to surrender to His will and rest in the knowledge that He will not withhold any good thing from me--if it wasn't meant to be, I'd be okay. I might pout a little, but I'd be okay.

Several things happened on Friday that seemed to be confirmation that this was our dog:

1) Stephen woke up excited to meet her.

2) I asked what he thought of the name "Annie" for our anniversary and he liked it.

3) I wondered what "Annie" meant, so I looked it up. It means "Grace" and "Favor"--anyone who knows us, knows that this defines in one word our journey with our Heavenly Father and sums up in one word what our lives and ministries are all about. I couldn't believe it when I saw this! GRACE!

4) We have been renting this house, so we have a land lord that wasn't all fired up about us even bringing Buddy with us, so we knew that the decision about us bringing a puppy home was really not fully up to us. Stephen contacted him, and there was ZERO hesitation. He said to go for it!

5) We met her. 

Photo by Amelia Grace Photography

 Annie fits in really well here. She is a lot of work right now--but what 3 month old isn't, right? She has been such good medicine for this chick's heart. I feel sadness mixed with joy when she senses Buddy in the house. She keeps looking for the other dog because in so many ways, He is still here. I told her she has some pretty big paws to follow--but not to fill. She gets to be herself with us. ;-)

When we got Annie, we were told she was a yellow lab, but it didn't take too long for us to see the Beagle in her...or hear it! She is so stinkin' annoying and adorable at the same time when she sticks her nose straight up in the air and howls. She doesn't do it often, thank God!, but when she does, I can't help but chuckle to myself, and then do everything I can to get her to knock it off. She would have made poor Buddy go nuts. Jackson calls her "Annie McBarksAlot."

So, here we are. One week with our Annie and looking forward to many years of fun and friendship...oh, and Milkbones...good grief this chick LOVES a milkbone!!

One friend put it this way, which meant so much to me, "Buddy brought you and Annie together." Indeed he did.

Thanks Buddy! I sure do miss you old friend.

The truth was the truth all along—but until I knew the truth, I couldn’t be free. #Shine

(This is an excerpt from the Written Study that goes with the Winter 2012 Series "Shine!" at Church 4 Chicks. If you'd like to get a copy of this written study in its entirety, please visit www.church4chicks.com. This will be a FREE download for a limited time!)

I shared in this week’s teaching at Church 4 Chicks that for as long as I can remember, between the ages of babyhood and about 25, I was very afraid of men with beards and shaggy clothes or blue collar type work clothes. I can’t count the number of times I experienced a scenario like this one I am going to share with you. Picture me walking down an aisle in the grocery store, minding my own business, making my grocery selections and keeping tabs on my calculator. I focus intently on whatever I am doing—so much so that it drives my family crazy sometimes. The whole house could fall down around me while I’m focused on the task at hand and I probably would not skip a beat in what I am working on. In fact, a counselor friend once told me if I had any more dopamine in my brain, I would be psychotic! (He said this tongue-in-cheek….I think!)

            So back to my scenario: Picture me focused intently on the task of grocery shopping—something I don’t enjoy anyways—and not noticing anyone around me except to go around them instead of through them as I do my shopping. Then, as if a radar detects danger, I notice a man round the corner with his own buggy, sporting a long beard, long hair and his work clothes from a construction job or something similar. Immediately, and without any provocation, my heart begins beating faster. I sense danger. I feel the intense need to make myself completely invisible to him. I feel panicky. But I have NO idea why. Logic tells me I’m being ridiculous. “Shelley, why are you freaking out? This guy has not done anything to you. Why do you always do this? Are you a bigot towards white men with shaggy hair or guys who work blue collar jobs?”

            This issue was so prevalent with me that I did not like it when the men in my life grew mustaches or beards. And I had NO idea why.

            Until one day in 1999 when my older brother and I were talking about memories from childhood. This was during the season I was experiencing an unwanted divorce from my first husband. My family members rose to the occasion big time and they all surrounded me with great support. My brother was helping me laugh as we reminisced about days gone by—the way that only siblings can because they go so far back together. At one point he started reminding me of the days when our parents could leave us kids in the car when they ran errands. This is something I never did with my children when they were young, but it was common in the late 70’s and early 80’s. My brother said, “Do you remember when Dad would leave the three of us (my two olders brothers and me) in the car to go into a store or something and you’d start crying for him?” I did not…I do not…remember this. And then he said, “And we  would tell you, ‘Shelley, you better be quiet…or the HIPPIES ARE GONNA GETCHA!!”

 Lightbulb.

            After all these years and after all the times I had asked my mom if something had happened to me when I was little that would make me experience so much anxiety when I would see men who looked a certain way; after all the confusion and guilt and fear, I finally understood where this all started and why I was affected so strongly.

            When the light was shone on this dark place, I experienced immediate release of all of that fear. (And it is a good thing my brother was on the other end of the phone or he might have been on the other end of my fist! Ha ha) 

The truth was the truth all along—but until I knew the truth, I couldn’t be free.

            And, as a side note, may I just say how thankful I am to have found this out before I met Stephen Hendrix—a man who has had facial hair almost every single day I’ve ever known him. J

• ·       Have you experienced a situation that this story reminds you of? If so, please share with us in the comments section below. 

  

• ·       What do you think might have happened if I continued to live without the knowledge about the idea of “hippies” and how the idea was planted in my mind when I was a toddler?

Happy 11th Anniversary to my man and me!

January 20, 2001

I never knew it could be like this. 

We've definitely had our highs and our lows in 11 years. Blending two lives is a challenge, but blending a family can seem downright impossible at times. It's a good thing our Heavenly Father delights in accomplishing what human beings view as impossible. I don't have a perfect life by anyone's definition, but I am enjoying a really wonderful life--and it's in large part due to the fact that Stephen Hendrix is the biggest part of it, second only to my Savior.

In honor of our 11th Anniversary, I've chosen to share something I wrote a while back (and have edited to bring it up to date). You'll find it just below. I also wanted to let you all know that Stephen and I will be hosting our very own Blog Party together the week of Valentine's Day on Love, Romance, and Marriage. We'd love to hear from you on topics you'd like us to tackle--my man is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom and grace. I know you're going to LOVE hearing from him. I'm tickled pink to have the opportunity to serve you alongside of him. You can post your questions or topic ideas here or email me directly at Shelley@Church4Chicks.com

I'm taking the weekend off-line to enjoy uninterrupted time with that man of mine...catch you later!

***************************************************************

August 2, 2000...

It started out pretty much like any other work day. I got up as a single mommy of 2 precious little girls and went to work. At that time I worked at FBC Woodstock as the secretary to the financial counselor, Eddie Hobbs. I loved my job, and I loved my boss. He became like a 2nd dad to me during those months of learning how to have a "real job" after having been a stay-at-home mom for 5 years. (As though being a SAH Mom isn't a "real job.") Eddie was out of town on August 2 and was needing me to fill in for him in the financial class he led on Wednesday evenings at church.

Throughout that day  I picked up on the fact that there was a bit of extra excitement over that evening's planned "House of Prayer." Still, I knew I'd be helping out in the class, so I would have to miss it. It didn't keep me from wondering what all the excitement was about, though.

The day went on, mostly as normal, but the other staff members were all abuzz about House of Prayer. It was hard not to wonder what was up. Then, my then-boyfriend, Stephen asked me to please come to beginning of the prayer time because the focus was on "nearly-weds, newlyweds, and want-to-be-weds." We were in the latter of that group. We wanted to be able to wed, but we were not 100% about the timing. HopeQuest Ministries (which wasn't even named HopeQuest yet), was at that time in its very early days, and him being single, and unattached gave him the freedom to be available almost 24/7.

I was a bit surprised when he asked me to go to the prayer time with him, but I agreed. Anyone who knows Stephen very well, knows that he has a very tender heart. And with the topic being what it was, I wasn't all that surprised that he'd want us to have that opportunity to pray together and have others pray with us. I was nervous, though. (Being a divorced mother of two tends to make a girl a bit cautious with her privacy.) I barely saw him that day because he told me he had to visit someone in jail. I didn't get to talk to him by cell phone, either, because he told me he wouldn't be able to use his phone while he was at the jail.

Had I known what he had up his sleeve, I would have taken more time fixing my hair, and definitely would have spit out that gum! ;-)



(Turns out, he was off buying a ring that day, so I forgave him for "lying" to me about why he was unavailable the whole day.)

When my first marriage ended the way it did, I tried to get used to the idea that I might be single forever, and to focus on being the best mother I could be to my two girls. God truly did, and continues to do, exceedingly and abundantly above all I could have imagined. It's times like this that I am reminded, as I look back, that God truly is a giver of good gifts!

10th Anniversary 1-20-11
(camera date wrong)

Stephen Hendrix, thank you so much for asking me to marry you! People have asked me through the years if I was uncomfortable with the fact that you asked me to marry you in such a public setting. How could I have been? You didn't hide our relationship at all--you have always honored me, both in private and in public. I can't thank you enough for the ways you've allowed God to use you in my life. No one has ever demonstrated the love of Christ to me like you have. There's definitely no way I'd be in public ministry today without your strength, perseverance, and constant encouragement to be who God has made me to be, and to do what God has made me to do.

Thank you for the many ways you still show your integrity, faithfulness, and commitment, not only to me, but to those little girls who aren't so little anymore. You will be richly rewarded one day--being a step-parent is no easy responsibility, but you do it so well. Thank you for loving me and Amelia and Macey in such a way as to to make it so easy to trust you with our hearts.

You're the kind of man I want my girls to one day marry and the kind of man I am confident our son will one day become.

You changed my whole world with that proposal. Thank you, Stephen. 11 years. It's gone by so fast. I guess that's what happens when you get to be married to your very best friend. 

I love you so much. So. Very. Much. It is an honor to wear your name.

And, in case you might be wondering...

I STILL can't believe I get to be married to Stephen Hendrix!

 

My Buddy and Me...

Dogs are miracles with paws. 
~Attributed to Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy

I was 22 years old when I began praying for a dog. Money was tight (isn't it always?); so my options were very limited. Very limited. The dog would have to be FREE.

I began my search and found an ad on the ajc.com classifieds for a "free dog to a good home... yadda yadda." There wasn't a picture of said dog, which was a really good thing. I mean look at him. Would you drive two hours to see this dog? ;-) Especially if you'd never met him before?

I called the woman who placed the ad and she explained she was looking for a new home for this 1 year old terrier mix she had rescued recently because her two other dogs (8 and 12 years old) couldn't handle the playfulness of this new addition to their home. She told me he was fun and sweet and extremely good natured. I guess when she said he had a good personality, I should have been prepared. (Ha ha)

I drove the two hours alone and finally arrived at the house of the woman who rescued the brown-eyed boy who would completely steal my heart. My very first thoughts were, "I drove two hours for this? This has got to be the ugliest dog I've ever seen! There's no way he's coming home with me...but I'll be polite enough to meet him and this woman who is trying to find a home for him...no wonder she's giving him away for free!"

I didn't know it when I met him, but as I've looked back on that moment over the years, I really think he somehow knew we were meant for each other. He attached himself to me right away and before I realized what I had gotten myself into, I had this ugly, playful, sweet, friendly, protective, wonderful, loyal four-legged future best friend in the mini-van with me, headed home. He had already been named, and so we didn't change it. "Buddy." It was the perfect name for him.

My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am.  ~Author Unknown

Buddy at 10 years old
*His eyes are actually brown* ;-)

I'll never forget our one and only camping trip with Buddy. This dog passionately HATED water. I have no idea what happened to him before we met that caused this, but I'll always remember having to carry this crazy, scared-out-of-his-wits canine across a river...and back again! I was scratched up so much from him freaking out on me and doing his dead-level best not to get a drop of water on him!

I'll also never forget almost losing him on that trip when he got bit in the neck by a copperhead. Scared us both half to death. That was in 1998.

We long for an affection altogether ignorant of our faults.  Heaven has accorded this to us in the uncritical canine attachment.  ~George Eliot

When no one else was, Buddy was there. During the painful season of divorce and learning to accept that my girls would be gone every other weekend. During the losses of miscarriage on four different occasions. I even prayed when I was single again that if God wanted another man in my life that it would be someone who would love Buddy and would be loved by Buddy. I'll tell you something I haven't told too many people: I think Buddy fell in love with Stephen Hendrix before the rest of us girls did. As I've cried a river these past 24 hours missing him, I remember that all the times I've cried like this over the past 15 years, Buddy was by my side. It makes losing him that much harder...I've grown so accustomed to having him with me when I'm hurting.

One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you're feeling blue is that he doesn't try to find out why.  ~Author Unknown

We've known for some time now that we've been on borrowed time with our best friend. Buddy used to love to run and play. His favorite game for YEARS was fetch. His favorite food was popcorn. His favorite activity was simply being with us. He was always so protective of us--of me in particular--and he would alert me if anyone got within 1/2 mile of our house! As my hearing loss has increased through the years, he became my alarm system and door bell and guest greeter all in one.

He had his ornery side, too, though. He loved to get into the trash, and although he knew he wasn't allowed on the furniture, up until a couple of years ago, he would plant himself on beds and couches anytime we weren't at home---always off of them and ready to greet us when we got home---and always looked so surprised when we knew he had been there. (His unmatched ability to shed gave him away every time!)

But as the years have gone on, his ability to hear, walk, and play has dramatically decreased. This didn't stop him from greeting favorite family members and friends who came to the house and it didn't stop him from at least trying to follow me from room to room as I moved about my day. 

We've been confident the past few months that every day we would get to have with Buddy would be an added bonus to the years and years of getting to experience his loyal friendship. I'm so thankful we got to have one last Christmas with him. I'm so thankful for family members and friends who have loved us and encouraged us and even cried with us through this. 

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.  ~Roger Caras

 Fifteen years worth of memories. Fifteen years worth of friendship with a dog, who as my father-in-law so appropriately said was "more than a dog." Fifteen years worth of Holidays, Birthdays, joys, losses, additions, celebrations, and difficult farewells. And that brown-eyed boy was there by my side through every single bit of it. Until now. And this loss is great. 

My brother sent me a poem by Rudyard Kipling and it is so appropriate to end this post with it.

A Dog for Jesus 

(Where dogs go when they die)

I wish someone had given Jesus a dog.

As loyal and loving as mine.

To sleep by His manger and gaze in His eyes

And adore Him for being divine.

As our Lord grew to manhood His faithful dog,

Would have followed Him all through the day.

While He preached to the crowds and made the sick well

And knelt in the garden to pray.

It is sad to remember that Christ went away

To face death alone and apart.

With no tender dog following close behind,

To comfort its Master's Heart.

And when Jesus rose on that Easter morn,

How happy He would have been,

As His dog kissed His hand and barked it's delight,

For The One who died for all men.

Well, the Lord has a dog now, I just sent Him mine,

The old pal so dear to me.

And I smile through my tears on this first day alone,

Knowing they're in eternity.

Day after day, the whole day through,

Wherever my road inclined,

Four feet said, "Wait, I'm coming with you!"

And trotted along behind.

*******************************************

P.S.
I promise I won't go on and on forever about Buddy. I know others who are going through things far more painful and difficult. But I'm also reminded of my husband's words and counsel to not minimize what I'm going through or discount the loss. I honestly don't even know if anyone else will make it through this whole post, but I needed to write it, and after speaking with my publisher yesterday about this very topic, I write it here instead of my journal in the hopes that maybe it will minister to someone's heart to know they aren't alone in the pain of losing a beloved pet and that what they're going through matters!

What matters to you matters to God.  ~Max Lucado

When I have a meltdown, where is God?...

from the archives...

originally posted May 17, 2008

It happens to the best of us, and to the rest of us, too, and mine happened Wednesday. Yes, I had a meltdown. The dictionary defines a meltdown this way: "the melting of a significant portion of a nuclear-reactor core due to inadequate cooling of the fuel elements, a condition that could lead to the escape of radiation." So, with that being said, maybe "meltdown" is too strong a word to describe what happened to me, but in all sincerity it was a very, very bad day. It reminded me of the title of a children's book: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, except this was Shelley's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Are you with me--the day was bad. I had a meltdown.

I wish I could say that as the rug was pulled out from under me and my heart was crushed that I handled it like the spiritual giant I wish I was...or were...I'm so glad grammar isn't graded here. I wish I could tell you I did the right thing and praised God anyways and claimed His promises for me and my loved ones. I wish...

I won't go into what happened--why relive that right?--but I will 'fess up that I shed a lot of tears, questioned God, and had a bit of a temper tantrum as well. I had a good old fashioned 24 hour pity party for 1. I told Stephen at one point in the day, through tears and all the attractive realites that accompany that level of sobbing, "I know one day I'll look back on this and I will see how God was faithful, but right now He seems a million miles away. The devil, however, feels very real and very close." And to be honest, I was a bit frustrated by the fact that I've been an avid student of the Word of God for the past 20 years now. Every time I'd start thinking the wrong thing, a Scripture or story from the Bible would pop into my head and try to burst my negative bubbles. Sometimes we just want to be upset, don't we?

Thankfully, when I am faithless, HE remains faithful. He is even called "Faithful and True." I love that. On this side of the fallout, already, I can once again sense His nearness and His concern for me--and that which concerns me--and those I love who are my concern. He sees. He cares. He is working even when we can't recognize it or see the proof of His involvement.

And He can handle our meltdowns--Praise Him for that!

I don't know where you are today. But He does. I am thankful--so thankful--that my feelings don't dictate what's true. His word is what's true.

Psalm 119:175 "Let me live that I may praise You and may Your laws sustain me."

Philippians 2:15b-16a "You will shine like stars among them in the world as you hold firmly to the word of life."

Hanging On...Or Letting Go?

I don't consider myself to be any kind of expert in....well, anything really, but for this post, I'm heading in the direction of the topic of Leadership. So, to make it clear: I don't claim to be an expert in the area of leadership. Deal? There are some incredible people in our generation who are making their mark in many of our lives as they invest their wisdom and knowledge into those of us who find ourselves in a leadership position; and I'm eternally grateful for them.

With that said, I am in a position of leadership and as I seek to lead with grace and wisdom, I've learned some important things and I've made my share of observations of things that work and ones that don't.

There is one particular observation I've made that I want to address here, and would definitely invite your response and input as well. Two heads are usually better than one, and perhaps we can all learn something and become better leaders (and followers) together.

Hanging on when we should be letting go?

The observation is this: some leaders seem to be able to handle letting go of followers with little or no grievances. And some, not so much. I have my own opinions about why some struggle with this more than others, but I'm wondering if there's more to it than what I see. I think this happens in the secular world, too, but since I'm mostly in the Church/ministry world, this is the perspective I bring to the discussion.

Since Church 4 Chicks began in the fall of 2008, we've had our share of folks who have come and gone. Heck, we've had volunteers come and go and even board members! It's hard sometimes not to take their leaving personally. Someone shared with me, just this past Sunday, that we all (those of us who call ourselves Christians) have the same Good Shepherd, and that we can trust His voice when He chooses to move one of us to a different field. Perhaps He wants us to be fed differently than we have before, or with different "sheep" than we've been associating with for a while. I so appreciated hearing this and visualizing our Good Shepherd guiding each of His sheep to the very pasture each one belongs in each season of their lives.

http://dymphnaswell.blogspot.com/2011/05/happy-good-shepherd-sunday.html

As leaders, how are we to respond when someone chooses to leave our organization? How would you want to be treated if God moved YOU from your current organization?

No Answer

“No Answer”


How difficult it can be to willingly choose to refuse to become defensive. We can learn a lot from Jesus—who not only gives us an example, but also empowers us to walk in victory.

Luke 23:5-9 (NIV)

⁵But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here."

 ⁶On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. ⁷When he learned that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

 ⁸When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. ⁹He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.

            In today’s passage, we see that Pilate and Herod—the ones in authority—were pretty impressed with Jesus, even though quite a few of the townspeople were obviously ticked off at Him. Herod was excited to meet Jesus and he hoped to see with his own eyes the things he had only been hearing. From this scenario it makes it hard to believe that this whole crucifixion thing could have ever happened to Jesus. It made no sense then, and it makes no sense now—if we look at it merely from a natural standpoint that is.

When He could have given an answer in His own defense, Jesus chose to remain silent. When He could have just said the word, and everything would have changed, He chose to say nothing. How hard that would be for me! When I feel accused, misunderstood, judged, or rejected, my first instinct is to protect myself and defend my honor and integrity. And yet, Jesus (the ultimate authority in this whole situation) chose to remain completely silent—refusing to defend Himself in any way. I’ve heard Pastor Johnny Hunt (FBC Woodstock) say on many occasions that we are never less like Jesus than when we are trying to defend ourselves. Does this mean we should never set the record straight? I don’t think so. But I do see that oftentimes we can become more concerned with what people think about us or whether or not people like us, than we are in what God is trying to do in us and through us.

Jesus could remain silent as He confidently trusted in His Heavenly Father’s purpose for His life—and His death. As Christians, we accept and believe that Jesus entered our world, knowing He would die for it. He counted the cost and willingly chose to step out of Heaven and into our world because He felt we were worth it. We, too, can choose to walk in the full assurance that our Heavenly Father’s purposes will be accomplished in our lives—regardless of the opposition or obstacles we encounter along the way.

Questions to consider:

1.)   When facing criticism from others, how difficult is it for you to remain silent and allow God to be your defender?

2.)   Can you think of some other Scriptures that talk about the importance of what comes out of our mouths and the importance of what does not come out of our mouths?

3.)   How differently might things have turned out had Jesus given in to the pressure to answer Herod’s questions and the people’s accusations?

4.)   Sometimes, we are the very ones who pester and pressure our Lord to give us an answer or show us a miracle. And sometimes, He chooses to remain silent for a time. This can be difficult for the believer, but if handled properly, can be very beneficial in bringing greater maturity to our lives. Have you ever experienced a time like this? Please feel free to share your experience and what you learned by responding in the ‘comment’ section of this webpage.