“He has chosen not to heal me, but to hold me. The more intense the pain, the closer His embrace.”

“Heartache forces us to embrace God out of desparate, urgent need. God is never closer than when your heart is aching.”

“I wished God were like He used to be, a few notches lower. I wanted Him to be lofty enough to help me but not so uncontrollable. I longed for His warm presence, times when He seemed more… safe.”

“The Psalms wrap nouns and verbs around our pain better than any other book.”

“The more righteous God appeared, the more resentful I became.”

“Contentment ... has an internal quietness of heart that gladly submits to God in all circumstances.”

“The truth of the matter is, Satan and God may want the exact same event to take place - but for different reasons. Satan's motive in Jesus' crucifixion was rebellion; God's motive was love and mercy. Satan was a secondary cause behind the Crucifixion, but it was God who ultimately wanted it, willed it, and allowed Satan to carry it out. And the same holds true for disease.”