Where Summer Ends and A New Project Begins
I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long. Between the end of summer vacation with the kids and a very busy month at work. Getting my son off to college and trying to soak up every bit of sunshine I possibly can. It’s gone so quickly as life tends to.
I hope you are all well and enjoyed your summer. It’s gotten cooler here, with mornings and evenings having a chill in the air. The corn stand is buzzing with people, soup is on the stove, and fresh bread is in the oven; it has been wonderful.
I find myself craving simplicity, quiet, being in the kitchen, or the garden, walking, and taking it all in. Today is a holiday, so I have the day off, and wow, what a huge difference it makes to have an extra day to do as I please. I feel content and so blessed. I miss my kids, but everyone is well today, and for me, that’s enough.
I’ve been working on a project for the last few months, too. I’ve been writing. Some of my long-time readers might remember when I was blogging and turned 50, I created a list of 50 things I’d learned. Life lessons, simple truths as I see them, and I decided to turn that list into a book of essays, inspiration about faith, hope, and love. Today I wanted to share an excerpt from one of the essays with you. The full essay will appear in my book.
You know the old saying, there’s always a silver lining? Well, today it was a ray of sun, I hope you like it.
Excerpt from 'You Are Stronger Than You Know' by ssduane
I remember one day in particular, I was struggling badly. It was pouring, and the sky was covered in a sheet of gray clouds. Something that I had been dreading finally happened. All I wanted to do was run. I got in my car and just drove. I had no idea where I was going, but I needed to get away. I ended up at a park where my boys played baseball. It was quiet and empty. I sat there in my car, sobbing. I was angry and exhausted, and honestly, I was mad at God. I asked Him if He was even listening. I felt like I’d been praying for years.
I said out loud, through my tears, “I need a sign. I need to know You hear me. I need Your help. Please.”
I sat there in the silence, waiting. Nothing, until seemingly out of nowhere, this little opening in the clouds appeared, and one single ray of sunshine came down.
It was Him. He heard me. God heard me. It was His sign to me. It was small, but it was enough to remind me that God still shows up, even when the sky feels heavy.
Did all my problems disappear? Nope, not even close. But in that moment, I found enough courage to keep going, knowing I wasn’t alone and that He was listening.
I’ve faced some hard things—personal struggles, family struggles, even work challenges, losing a job as a single mom shortly after moving into our now home. There were days I wanted to hide. But when you have children depending on you, you learn to keep showing up, even when you don’t feel strong.
What’s helped me most is focusing on the good. Even in the darkest seasons, there is still good. Some days, you have to look harder to find it. Some days, you have to dig deep just to get out of bed. But it’s there.
This little glimpse is just one piece of what I’ve been pouring into my book. Writing it has been both healing and humbling, and I look forward to sharing more with you soon.
If you’d like to be the first to know when it’s ready (and get little sneak peeks along the way and a few little extras!), I’d love for you to join my waiting list HERE.
Much love,
Susan
