Sometimes troubles come like stones dropped in your path... small annoyances to be noticed, just so you don't step on them and trip or hurt yourself.  Sometimes they come as boulders - more significant barriers that cause you to alter your path somewhat and must be taken seriously.  But sometimes they come like avalanches.  Sometimes you jump back just in time and though you are not hurt, you look in dismay at what once was your path forward and now is a wicked mass of dirt, boulders and stones 3 meters high.  Other times, it comes at you from behind, carrying you none too gently several meters forward, leaving you shocked, stunned and unsure what hit you or how to get your mind around it, covered with aches and pains from various bruises and cuts.  Finally, are the worst times - when the avalanche comes down right on top of you and buries you utterly, so that at first you can't even move.  You are left - hopefully - with the superntaural help of God and the essential aid of friends - to try to figure out how to dig yourself out again.  Its much more difficult if you have a crushed arm or leg or some injury from the circumstances more significant than bruises.  Even an accumulation of surface scratches can make life feel decidedly unbearable.  So what do we do?  We cry out for mercy to the one who always hears and always sees, even when we are buried deepest of all.

The Lord has answered several prayers of mine in hugely significant ways recently - several bolders far too big for me have been removed from my personal avalanche.  He provided me once again with a loving family with which to live, wonderful counselers and friendships that had turned difficult are now figuring themselves out.  Praise God.  Looking back at my last post, I've progressed enormously - maybe I'm finally seeing the light of day through the cracks in this particular avalanche.  But this morning, it felt like a second smaller avalanche threatened to bury me all over again.  I'm sure my mom feels this way constantly, but that doesn't make it any more fun for me.  Several friends are going through very difficult things and I happened to hear from two of them in some detail unexpectedly this morning.  Life is life.  Life is hard.  Life is difficult.  Life is a mess.  Things are not as they should be.  I know that's not the reality for everyone.  But it seems to be the reality for far too many.  Lord, help us out here.  We could use a BIG helping hand.  Thank you.

Lord, thank you that this is a phase.  It will not last forever.  It is possible to actually feel in control of where things are going and how - sometimes.  :)  Thank you for that.  Be with us in this and thank you for your reassurance that you are taking us through.  Be with my dear friends who are going through such difficult things, in some ways so similar to my own.  Be with them and bless them.  Give them the light at the end of the tunnel that you have given me... that is... at least it seems real enough!  Thank you for that.  In Jesus' name, Amen.