The premier lesson I've learned from my faith is God really does know what is best for us and doesn't give us anything we can't handle. Of course it never feels that way when we are going through difficult experiences. But with time, God's compassion becomes apparent. We just need to keep our faith while riding out the storm.

When my son, Nicholas, died, I was demolished. All I ever wanted to be was a mother. Having already experienced a miscarriage, I couldn't begin to understand why God would take another child from me. Was I that bad a person? Had I hurt people so badly that I needed to experience such deep sorrow as punishment for previous wrong doings? Was I unfit to be a mother? Am I some kind of an example? Why? Why?!

I remember Dad, who was a devout Catholic, sitting with me one day, just holding my hand in the deafening silence. I was just shy of catatonic with my grief.  He said, "Kath, I can't imagine words will even begin to touch what you are feeling now. But I will tell you, God writes straight with crooked lines. Someday you will understand why."  As they say, Father does know best. It took many years before I would realize the why but one day it was very apparent to me why it was best, for both Nicholas and myself. I came to realize God knew better than I my weaknesses and strengths, and His blessing was to honor them for both my son and me.

I am not saying the lesson was easy or that I don't wish it couldn't have been avoided or maybe learned in a gentler way. I can say that it taught me to trust in God's way. So now when things seem tough and life's road feels rocky, I trust and say the prayer that brought me through the first real storm of my life: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.