Through thick and thin 
by Kadeen Edwards



          “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”‭‭ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭


       The journey with Jesus can manifest in sudden highs, lows, moments of stillness, and steady progress. It’s easy when God intervenes and delivers us, allowing us to ride a wave of spiritual exhilaration. We experience sudden healing blessings and a surge of strength, fueling our desire to be with Jesus. We dedicate ourselves to daily study of His word, soaking up His presence.


            However, as the journey progresses, we must slow down and appreciate the blessings that appear here and there. We still trust the Lord and remain steadfast in our faith, knowing that His presence is still with us, though not as intensely as in the beginning.


             Then, we encounter a low and stillness, testing our faith. The low may resemble a sudden storm, causing uncertainty and a sense of distance from God. His presence becomes quiet, and we can no longer see, hear, or feel Him as we did in the beginning. This is the most challenging part of our journey, yet it also nurtures our faith.


           Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. This phase of our journey transforms our sudden faith into a gradual one. It becomes the place where we learn to trust God even when His presence is elusive. We cling to His past faithfulness, growing in strength and confidence in His unwavering love and care. 
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Putting Faith in Action!
By Joyce Pelletier
July 12, 2026
 
James 5:13-16 The Prayer of Faith
     Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them, and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
     It is a humbling experience to ask for prayer, but it is also a commonplace for us to be. The older I get the more I recognize the need for prayer. Even though we are Christians, we still make blunders.
     When I do things wrong and hold back from asking for prayer for forgiveness, it is sometimes rather difficult to accept that I am forgiven. As long as we are sincere, it’s a done deal.
     Mistakes happen. I like to think of them of golden opportunities for learning how to forgive and accept the human part of self. It does get easier as we grow in the Lord. He knows us and our sins. He knows when it’s going to happen. There is no preparation for sin. It sneaks up on you in a fastidious moment wherever we might be.
     I was driving along the Beltline from Colchester to Burlington. There were no other cars around in the area where slower drivers are to stay to the right so faster drivers can swish by you.
     We were halfway through that section and a black animal (no idea of what he or she was) and as it sauntered across to the island that divides the highway, it was rolling on his chest and next thing I new he was just under my car. There was no place for me to stop. It’s a rather tricky area when you never know if a car is coming up behind you or not.
     I didn’t hear any thud, so I assumed that I miss this little critter. However, as I kept going I saw it still moving, in the rearview mirror. I could not tell if it was still doing his fancy gait or not. It was not safe to stop, plus no place to pull over. Last I saw him he was still moving, so I assumed he was ok.
    I continued towards our destination and forgot all about the incident. Later that evening, I started to think of this poor critter and hoped that he had not been hit, he was in a very precarious situation. Then the guilt plundered on my heart and head.
    I love animals and we watch vet shows a lot on TV. I went from guilt to hope the rest of the night. I really don’t know if he made it or not. Because I didn’t hear the dreaded thud, my hope was on God protecting this creature.
     At bedtime I asked Maurice to pray for me. He reminded me that I needed to forgive myself. Truth be told is I am the hardest person to forgive.
     I thought about the book I’m preparing for our Bible Study group about the cross by Max Lucado and it brought me to thinking about Judas. He couldn’t forgive himself. He gave up his life because he didn’t want to face the truth.
     God knew this would happen before the beginning of time. Judas took things in his own hands and judged himself then took his own life. I know that this was not what God wanted him to do. The Father knew he’d betray Jesus, but he was also eligible for forgiveness. He could have experienced healing forgiveness and gone on to witness to the amazing presence of God. However He chose to run away scared, and his life was done.
     When I think of that kind of possibility, I know when I do wrong things, God knows about it and he’s more than ready to forgive me with the click of a finger. After considering this, God knew I did not mean to hurt this critter, he had for me a new lesson about forgiveness. It’s not okay to sin, but the greatest alternative is to “forgive myself” and allowing God to take the glory.
     I regret when these things happen, but I also know that forgiveness is intended for all who turn back to the one who has power to save us. That is the greatest lesson. The moral of this is keep my eyes peeled wherever I am. God has another lesson for me. Also, lest I won’t forget the value of prayer from a loved one, and reminders of the joy of forgiveness. 

The Bridegroom and the Bride

All that I have and all that I am I lay it before you
All of my hopes and all of my plans I lay them before you
As a living sacrifice That was bought with such a price
A covenant between bride and groom May I be an offering that’s pleasing
To the one who paid the debt for all my sins So All that I have and all that I am
I lay it before you

      Twenty two years ago, in a Church in the Old North End of Burlington, Vermont, I
gathered with my friends and family to boldly go where some have gone before. I got
married to the love of my life, a man who I knew way less than I would have ever admit
at the time. We were young. We were naïve, and we were married.

       The future was ripe with possibilities, and I was all for it. The reality was a lot different
than I expected. In my fanciful imaginings as a child, I believed marriage to be this
larger-than-life bond that would fill in all the empty places in my soul. I would never be
lonely again. I would always have a partner in life to be there through thick and thin. All
the insecurities I felt as a single woman would be dissolved into bliss.
     
      Only the version of reality that I signed up for was very different than the fantastical
version in my head. My insecurities didn’t get soothed or dissolved. In fact, some of the
worst things I thought about myself were magnified in ways that I would never have
dreamed possible. And while I was able to work in the beginning, having children right
away, I soon became isolated in a way that I would never have pictured either. My
children were amazing and beautiful (still are) but they held a different kind of
companionship. They were never meant to be partners in life.
 
      I have never regretted my decision to have children, but pregnancy and postpartum
hormones did surprising things to my body that I also could not have expected.
The worst things about me were amplified in my mind and sometimes in my ears. Was I
actually lovable? Was I ever beautiful? Was I just destined to be alone for the rest of 
my days, while committed to maintaining a relationship with the man I had chosen for
myself? 

      I had never felt more ugly, more fat, or less valuable than I did in marriage. And yet…
there was another covenant at play. Another bridegroom.
“For your maker is your husband, the Lord of Hosts is His name.” Isaiah 54:5
He is the One who whispered in my ear, “You ARE beautiful,” when I sat in a Bible study
feeling very confident that I was not.

      He is the One who breathed comfort to me while I mourned miscarriage after
miscarriage alone. He is the One who healed the wounds made against me again and
again. He is the One who allowed me to go from despair to confidence. He is the One
who spoke to me in the middle of my loneliness and reminded me that I am not alone.
I have known incredible and beautiful intimate moments with the One who promised
never to leave me nor forsake me, the One who told me He would be with me always,
even to the very end of the age.

      I was recently listening to an explanation about the new covenant that God made with
his Church. In ancient times, the marriage contract would have been clear to the
culture. The bridegroom would make a pledge, sealing the deal with a shared drink of
wine. They would then go on to pay a dowry price. They would leave a pledge for the
bride, and finally they would go to make a home for their bride. The response of the
bride is to give her life in return.
     
      Jesus, at the last supper took the cup of wine, and told his disciples that it was the new
covenant. He drank of the cup, and shortly after, he paid the price for the bride—laying
down his own life for her sake. He conquered death in a most valiant display of love,
and then after visiting his disciples again, he told them he would go on to prepare a
place for his bride, but not without leaving a pledge, the Holy Spirit. In response, as his
bride, I lay down my life to him.

      Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and
proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what
God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

      My beloved made a way for me through the darkest night, and the stormiest weather.
My beloved promised to be with me always and I live with that hope and understanding.
Marriage was meant to foreshadow or point to the most amazing relationship that we
could ever have or know. The most high God is my husband, and I don’t ever need to
be afraid.