Someone I've never met

Today I'm thankful for a woman I've never met. We had very similar early life experiences and her writings have comforted and counseled me many times. Her name is Stormie Omartian and in recent years she's become widely known as the author of "The Power of Praying" series. Before that, she wrote two books that spoke to me very directly.

The first book, Stormie, is her autobiography and in it she chronicles her years of growing up with a mentally ill mother. Her struggles were so similar to my own and it was one of the first times that I felt someone else understood. Not only did they understand, but they had reached a point of personal emotional and spiritual health. My theoretical hope became solidified.

The second book was called A Step in the Right Direction. It was recently republished as Lord, I Want to Be Whole. In it, she lays out the process she went through to achieve personal peace after enduring a tumultuous beginning to life. It taught me how to use scripture and prayer to reframe my worldview and how to look at other things in my life and discern whether they were helping me or hurting me.

Years later, I found the first of the Power series, The Power of a Praying Wife. When I go through times of discouragement with my marriage, that books helps me refocus and remember that I can only change my own attitude and actions. I learned with my "family of origin" that it's very hard to be angry with someone you're praying for. God really does know what's best for us, doesn't he?

Isn't God good? Doesn't the way he uses our struggles to bless others amaze you? I need to be more open and willing to share my difficulties. Thank you, Stormie Omartian, a woman I will probably never meet, for showing me the truth of this.