Everyone comes to crossroads in their lives when they stop, take inventory, and recalibrate. Such was the case for me last month when I met a family member who travelled with me to attend a book signing in California. Afterwards we holidayed for two weeks.

Breaking from the ordinary was good but not without its challenges. That time away, the first without my computer, caused me to evaluate things from a distinct perspective. Few fulfill their own expectations satisfactorily, much less those placed on them by others. It is beneficial to have free time in unfamiliar surroundings because these stretch us in ways that home does not.

Being called to ministry means that I never let go of my desire to talk about faith, within limits. Referred to as a professional Christian by someone whose faith provided a salary, I entered ministry as an unpaid ordinand. I could do this because a 32-year career allowed me to work my passion with a pension while not taking a salary. With God at the helm, we can all be set for life and never far from our reason for living.

As Christian churches close an army of volunteers do God’s work in homes, hospitals, prisons, and on the streets. Their work is priceless. Other faithful men and women work online helping viewers expand their Christian knowledge and understanding, especially about the Bible.

While discernment is crucial, a sizable portion of online material is helpful in turning hearts toward God. Creators may monetize websites which is no different from church leaders making money through their work. God knows the good and the bad and He works through it all.

Some people lack the wisdom to discern. They struggle with societal change: technological and social. Life is sometimes more difficult to manoeuvre due to decreased human interaction and fewer paper documents. Human relationships today are vastly different from past centuries.

Christians sometimes oppose culture because they believe that we are living further from God than humans have ever lived before. Even if this is true, God calls us to live for Him and spread His good news. We must use modern conveniences for His good. If not, evil will win.

My time away, a break from home’s stresses, reminded me of how faithful people everywhere handle life differently from the secular world. In places, believers are scarce, but it is better for a few to live authentic Christian lives than for the majority to weekly attend church while living outside of God for the rest of the week. The gap between what Jesus teaches and how we live is widening. Living a Christian life is becoming increasingly more difficult to do.

When I returned home the challenges that I had before I left were still there. I did not expect that there would be substantial changes, but I expected the break would refresh me to handle stresses better. And I did as I met new people who faced adversity that made mine look insignificant. Any frustrations I had paled in comparison to those who suffered greatly or had heard the worst news.

Everyone has his or her own challenges in life. Whether it is personal health issues or the health issues of a loved one, lost employment, or a jail sentence. Multitudes worldwide immigrate to the West in hope that they will find a better life. They leave family members behind in poverty, even in war. How difficult it must be for them on special occasions (such as birthdays, Christmas, and Mother’s Day) to think of their loved ones living thousands of miles away suffering as they do.

For all Christians, hardships are softened through God’s love. Adversity does not disappear but loved ones with faith in Jesus worldwide are united in Him. Every time we pray to God through Jesus, we are united with believers all over the world who are also sending prayers to Him.

Faith is how marriages and families are strengthened. When husband and wife are believers, they are not merely two. They are united with the perfect God—in three-persons. Because of my faith I had two good marriages. Both times extreme indicators of divorce were defeated. My marriages were blessed and thrived because my husbands believed in God through Jesus as much as I did.

When people respect God and His eternal bonds, they have something precious in common with Christians everywhere. There is no death that divides and separates because eternity lasts forever.

The saddest thing for Christians is often the unbelief of their loved ones. God hears our prayers, but our loved ones must also hear God and answer. They choose Jesus or they do not. Jesus will not force them to believe, and neither can we.

Whenever I meet fellow Christians, I know that I have more in common with them than I have with unbelievers. The kindness of Christian strangers is something that money cannot buy. Relationships with rich people who can give you everything that money can buy is no friendship compared to friendship with fellow Christians.

A Christian friend will pray with you, for you, cry with you, and commiserate with you. This friend knows what you are going through because they know that no one is perfect but God who perfectly provides all the hope, joy, love, and peace you could ever desire.

My plan for future posts is to highlight YouTube videos done by people I do not know but which I feel are valuable to Christian growth. I will bring them to your attention because they have the potential of growing your faith and improving your quality of life.