Ever wonder if the chaos in your life will clear up in favor of some smooth sailing for once? I know we've all had a thought similar to that one. Sometimes it seems as if we're soaring in the air or gliding on the water, where nothing bad can touch us. Other times, it seems like the ickies of life just can't leave us alone. Faith is the anchor which allows us to hold it together in those times when we are being bombarded with tough issues. The big question of life isn't "IF something bad happens, will I have faith?" The biggie is "WHEN something bad happens, will I have faith?" Our family, which is not so unusual, has had lots of opportunity to call on that virtue of faith the past five or six years. It all started when I wrote my first chastity piece entitled, "Chastity 101 for Parents." I swear that as soon as that ditty was in print, the Evil One started to come after me and my family with spiritual warfare disguised as health problems. You see, I believe that the Nasty Bugger lurks about waiting for opportunities to try to make us lose our faith. I also believe that because God's first commandment to the crown of His creation was "be fruitful and multiply" that the Yuckster might spend extra time attacking people who are striving for that communion of persons ideal which God designed. So, if we're living according to the Father's wishes in our relationships or if we have a passion like, let's say, speaking to teens and adults about God's plan for human sexuality, then we might be in for it. Those thoughts dawned on me while driving home one night from a speaking engagement. I was replaying my presentation in my head, which led me to wonder about my avocation as a chastity speaker. Then I began to think about all the things we had been dealing with on the home front. Suddenly, a light bulb went off, along with a loud bell, and I even exclaimed out loud, "You're trying to shut me up, aren't you?" Yesiree, he can be relentless. First, one of our daughters suffers from severe asthma, which was not discovered until the aforementioned article was in print. To make a long - a several years' long - story short, there were times when she was so ill we had to call down the angels. You know what I mean. Well, I'm happy to report that we made it through all those times without a devastating tragedy. Whew! Then there was the year my husband broke not only his arm on Christmas morning, but his back three weeks later, all during a significant job change for him at this company. Want to get quick emergency care? Go on Christmas morning - nary a soul. Then there was the year our older daughter developed scarring acne, which caused some understandable depression. Made it through that one. And, just for fun, in that same time frame we found out our son had to go back into braces because his lower jaw had an unexpected growth spurt. It happens to a lucky 1 out of 500 kids. Woo hoo! Oh yes, that same year, it was determined that our daughter with asthma ought to have a surgery called a Nissen-fundoplication to stop her from aspirating her acid reflux into her lungs, which she had been doing her whole life, which probably gave her the asthma in the first place. That was in July. Made it through that, too. Whew, again! In September, the son who just got his braces put back on, wrecked his knee in soccer. He, too, had to have surgery and missed his freshman year in that sport and basketball. So, he auditioned for the school play and was cast as Professor Chester Marvel in the "Wizard of Oz" That's almost as good as playing soccer and basketball to a 14-year-old boy (wink, wink). I think we got a break from the nonsense in 2004. I'm not really sure. Oh wait! No we didn't. That was the year our youngest had a huge flare up with his eczema, which took six months to get under control. I think that was also the year we found out he had extra bones in his feet, which were causing him the kind of pain only $350 orthotics could fix. And did I mention the car accident our older daughter was in that totaled the car? For news on the ridiculous chain of events in 2005, you will have to read my column "When Half of Seventh Grade Went in the Trash." And, for 2006, read "The Funny Thing Is..." Can you spell "two steps from the Funny Farm"?! No wonder I developed a frozen shoulder the doctors believe was brought on by stress. Lucky for us, we have our faith. Our deep, abiding faith in Jesus, the Divine Physician. The Lord, who can heal our ills and soothe our spirits, even in the midst of chaos. Good thing, too, 'cause I have a feeling that just when we think we're in the clear, something else is bound to happen. It's just part of life. After all, if we don't have a little trouble on earth, we won't long for heaven. I want to add that I do not write this for sympathy, empathy, or because I think we're unusual. We've all got the ickies in our lives. Some worse than others. That's just how it is, and it's largely unexplainable. The point is this: put the roots so deep that when the storm hits, nothing can shake your foundations. And, when you're in the clear, enjoy the moment. Savor the moment. Rejoice in the moment. And count your blessings. Remember, you are loved by the One who is Love. It doesn't get any better - or clearer - than that.

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