It can be tough to accept the truth and beauty that “God loves us” when surrounded by war, death, tragedy, and the difficulty of life. I know from what God has revealed in my life that a balance occurs after these periods of darkness. Dark periods where you lose a sibling and, just weeks later, lose your only remaining parent, but then recall the miraculous cure of your only daughter; her battle with a rare disease that caused many miscarriages until, through answered prayer, she met a young doctor who found the cause of her miscarriages which led to the birth of her beautiful son and daughter. Balance. It’s certainly not an answer many can accept to the mystery of pain, darkness, and difficulty in life. It is, however, the hope of faith. The God who created everything, whose ways are so far beyond our understanding, chooses to grace us if we are open to receiving it, wisps of wisdom to know how much he loves us. I grieve for those who are trapped in the darkness of tragedy. But with the assurance of His unconditional love, which I witnessed during my difficult times, I lift up all those enduring dark times and pray the Lord will provide the understanding needed to see and embrace the light of His love that illuminates the pathway to a new hope.