“God hath not promised
Skies ever blue,
Flower-strewn pathways
All our lives through;

God hath not promised
Skies without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

“But God hath promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the labor,
Light for the way,

Grace for the trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.”

Annie-Johnson Flint

When I went to seminary, we were required to learn “active listening” skills. One required exercise was to interview another student and draw out of them a conflict story of a family member.

My interviewee, “Bob,” talked about conflicts with his Dad. They were as different as chalk and cheese. Bob was Triple A: athletics, academics, arts. What’s more, he was the “life-of-the-party” kind of guy. “Bob’s” dad had dropped out of high school, worked…