My friend really thought that she would find another job right after the layoff. It's been six months and she hasn't found anything to pay all of her bills. A couple that I know just came back from the doctor with a bad report. The cancer has returned. It's worse than when they fought it the first time. My dad is really wearing out on this caregiver thing. Mom's stroke has left her so depressed. Her tears are constant.

My heart aches for these dear people as they live out their struggles. I want to find "the magic wand" and make everything better.

I feel so helpless. Then, I remember that Jesus didn't promise that he would wipe out all of my pain. He doesn't necessarily make all of the "bad stuff" in my life go away. Instead, through every circumstance, he continually invites me to trust him and lean on him.

Did you ever see the movie, "Jewel of the Nile"? As the credits roll, Danny Devito, Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner sing back up to Billy Ocean's song, "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going."

I started humming the melody today and wondered if maybe I can do something for my friends and family. Maybe I can cheer them on to keep on going. Maybe I can simply be there for them as they feel weak and just need someone to listen. And, who knows, maybe we'll all sense a little peace as Christ strengthens us.

St. Paul asked the Lord to remove his own "thorn." He told the people of Corinth that the Lord did answer him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Here's Paul's response: "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2Corinthians 12:9 NIV, NAB).