Isaiah 43:2 (NIV) “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

 One night in Mozambique, my son developed a fever of 105 degrees. I forced him into a cold shower, administered Tylenol, and did everything I could think of to no avail.

Fearing cerebral malaria ravaged his body, I sat with him in the back seat of our car while my husband raced like a mad man to the clinic. To my utter amazement, my son started singing a worship song. As I joined him in worship, my fears melted into peace.

In the midst of my nightmare, God’s presence conquered all my anxiety. My son was diagnosed with strep throat, and I was diagnosed with a little more faith.

            Grief is part of the journey of our lives. Perhaps we can think of it as a friendly wolf. We need to let it out of the basement, face it, embrace it, and know that God uses trials for the strengthening of our faith.

If grief is a wolf, we do not need to give him the remote control, but neither do we need to hide him in the basement. Some suffering will accompany us throughout our lives, molding us into the image of Christ if we allow it. When we go through the waters of sadness or the fires of sorrow, we will not be destroyed.

The "Grief Is a Wolf" series of pastels will be on display as part of my solo show from March 3 until April 4 at Kore Art Gallery, 942 E. Kentucky St., Louisville, Kentucky 40204. Open Wednesday thru Saturday 11:00 to 6:00, Sunday 12:00 to 4:00. A percentage of sales from the show will go to Kentucky Refugee Ministries.