John

“But the more familiar one becomes with any religious system, while yet the conscience and will are unawakened and obedience has not begun, the harder is it to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Such familiarity is a soul-killing experience, and great will be the excuse for some of those sons of religious parents who have gone further toward hell than many born and bred thieves and sinners.”
― George MacDonald, The Complete Works of George MacDonald

“But surely it was not God's will to give us a child with handicaps. God didn't do this, right?"
"It's a mystery, Daddy. You won't be able to understand it all till you get here and see all of the rooms and one-inch pictures. But this you can trust: God is always good.”
― James Bryan Smith, Room of Marvels: A Novel

“The saints gather to tell stories like yours in hushed tones."
"Our story? Our story? But Rachel and I ... we ... we didn't do anything except just try to hang on."
"And that is the great miracle, isn't it? You hung on. You didn't give up.”
― James Bryan Smith, Room of Marvels: A Novel

“caring for someone with a progressively debilitating disease is like trying to hold your balance on a high wire while juggling explosives. It’s possible, of course, if you set your mind to it and devote your life to the task, but you certainly can’t sustain the nonstop pace of the routine year after year after year. Because eventually, unless you’re some sort of superhero, you’ll fall down from sheer exhaustion, or something will blow up when you least expect it. And neither outcome is particularly desirable.”
― Sophie Hudson, A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family, and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon