rainy days and mondays

the music of the carpenter's is enough to send anybody into a full-blown manic/depressive episode. that said, there is a shred of truth to rainy days and mondays always getting me down. yesterday was both.

on top of being a rainy day and a monday, i got two pieces of bad news yesterday - both involving friends. a good friend, lifting partner and church member informed me that his wife had a miscarriage yesterday. this was their first child. the really sad part is that the monster's will make great parents.

i also learned that a pastor friend of mine resigned his church for health reasons. my friend is in his early 30's, and a former college athlete. apparently the stress of pastoring had affected him more than even his wife knew. he is a good preacher and a faithful pastor. we organized a minister's fraternal together and i cherish the hours of fellowship we spent together.

corrie ten boom once said that when God asks us to travel a rough road, He gives us stronger shoes. my prayer for the padgett's and arens' is that those shoes fit well. i also pray for wisdom and discernment to know when to speak and when to shut up. for now, as i told them both, we love you and are praying for you. that's about all anyone can do, isn't it?