For years I have wanted to have TIME to spend with God. Just me and Him. Now I have pretty much all the time in the world and I haven't spent NEARLY enough time getting to know Him. He showed me many things over the past year and helped me put some of those things into perspective this summer. One example of this has to do with my friends. I love them dearly, and I have spent much time and energy doing what I could to make life easier for them, trying to ensure their happiness. This summer I read a book called Shattered Dreams by Larry Crabb. I now realize that it is not always a good thing for people to be happy, that God is usually doing His best work in people when their lives come crashing down around them and they have nothing left, giving them no option but to turn to God. So now, no matter how much I want to revert to my ways of doing all I can to make life "peachy keen" for those I love, I now stand back and let God do His work. It's not that I have nothing to do with them. I'm still their friend, but I no longer treat them like helpess babies. I learned that this is how Jesus is with us. "Yes" answers to our prayers are often seen when we are new Christians (babies), but as we grow, Jesus holds back providing for what we see as our every need, so that we will seek God more and more, so that we will be ready when the time comes for us to move into our new Home.