From the beginning of the pandemic, I have taken this virus seriously. I went to a wedding the weekend that Illinois schools closed and then quarantined for two weeks in the event that I might have caught the virus. I didn’t want to inadvertently get anyone sick, especially my family. Even as things opened up, my husband and… Read More Clarissa’s Story: Pride and the Pursuit of Protection
I am an Intensive Care Nurse at a community hospital in a northeast suburb of Chicago. My hospital serves an underprivileged area where COVID broke loose in the community and created a battle zone. This coronavirus experience for me, in general, was a deep spiritual battle. I struggled with letting go of the illusion of… Read More Kelsey’s Story: Trusting God’s Control Over COVID-19
We had just become new parents and I was glad to find out that car rides helped lull my daughter to sleep. I started looking forward to my quiet time after lunch where would drive around until she fell asleep. On one of these regular routines, I found a new beauty in a new neighborhood… Read More Helen’s Story: My Experience with Racism
I bit my tongue and responded very little as I listened to my family member’s perspective, realizing we had very different views on some of the things happening in our current culture. But the next day I kept replaying in my mind the previous night’s phone conversation. “How could he take that position on these… Read More Sandy’s Story: Facing Differing Political Views with Family
Our family dynamics changed when my sister-in-law entered the picture. My family is loving, kind, grace-giving, supportive, and rarely has conflict. But my sister-in-law is the opposite; it’s hard to handle her unprovoked harshness, disrespect, rudeness, cutting and crass spirit. Most of our family gatherings are actually pleasant and fun (mainly because we are a… Read More Mary’s Story: Dealing with a Challenging Sister-in-Law