Is there one for whom we are praying, who seems to be unhelped by our prayer?  Are we suffering the bitterness of disappointment?  Our dear Lord has been this way before us.  

‘there is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of one little glow-worm’. 

He said not: Thou shalt not be tempested, thou shalt not be travailed, thou shalt not be distressed; but He said: Thou shalt not be overcome.’

There is a wonderful word even in this sad book.  He hath made everything beautiful… He hath set eternity in their heart – the heart of all beautiful things.

The Lord help us to give Him the joy that our children give to us when they loyally and lovingly keep our words.

God’s love is very brave.  He trusts us not to look back and wonder about things, or wonder about present things either, or fear for future things.  

Do you sometimes say in your heart, ‘So-and-so is very hard to put up with’?  If God puts up with us we ought also to put up with one another. 

If we seem to receive a stone when we pray today, let us rejoice, for we know the blessed secret of the rock and the flint.

Let us turn to our Father.  Then, though our questions may not be answered… we shall surely hear in the depths of our hearts good and comfortable words.