“For You Are with Me” (Day 21)

Verse of the Day
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me.” - Psalm 23:4
 
My name is Nina, and when I look back on my life, I can truly say it has been a good life—full of love, hard work, and the grace of God woven through it all.
 
I grew up in a farming family. My father raised potatoes, and we had cattle and pigs. There were five of us children—three brothers, my sister, and me. We worked hard, picking potatoes and hauling water, but we had fun too. I remember sledding on crusted snow in winter and visiting my mother’s family in Masardis, where they had sheep and a big friendly dog named Strongheart.
 
Our school was a small one-room schoolhouse with a stove in the middle. We brought soup in jars and warmed it on the stove for lunch. Later I moved to a bigger school in Easton, where I met John. He was a senior and I was a freshman. After school he went to college, and when he joined the service and was stationed in Georgia, we decided to marry. I flew to Marietta, Georgia, and that began our life together.
 
Military life meant moving often—Texas, Puerto Rico, Louisiana, Indiana, California. Each place had challenges, especially for the children, but we always found good neighbors and a church family.
 
The hardest season came when our daughter Jeannie was born with a serious heart defect. At five years old she needed open-heart surgery. The night before surgery she asked me, “Mom, will I die?” I told her, “No, dear. Jesus will be with you.” I clung to faith that night. By God’s mercy she survived and later became a pilot flying 747s. She is my miracle girl.
 
One hymn that stays with me is Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley. It reminds me that even when life feels lonely, Jesus has walked the road before us. Now, after seventy-three years of marriage, I look back with gratitude. Through every move, every loss, and every joy—God has walked with us. – Nina Trask
 
Thought for the Day
Jesus does not promise that life will be easy, but He promises we will never walk the valley alone. Where in your life today do you need to remember that Christ is walking beside you—even in the hard places?

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