Dearest Angela,
Has my last letter soaked in, yet?
Just smile.
Let me tell you what I’ve learned about the tough times: One of the best tickets out of hard circumstances is contentment. Contentment can breed joy. I do not mean that quiet joy that runs too deeply for detection, NO! Dan can use a friend who is glad to see him, fetches him a cold drink, and smiles at him. He needs to see you accepting cheerfully any challenge that might arise, as if this were an adventure.
You can do inexpensive things to brighten your days. Sneak a note into his pocket with kisses and hugs on it. Keep a journal of the good things that happen each day. Snip a smiley into his bread before you toast it. He needs to be able to see that this disaster is not ruining your life. He needs to see that you are happy, because he will think you are unhappy with him, otherwise.
Always remember that he will be tempted to feel he is failing you. Do not feed the temptation.
Also, you must pray. I know you know this, but merely agreeing with a concept will not be enough, here. You must pray. Go boldly to the throne of grace for mercy and grace to help you be the wife Dan needs.
- Ask God, point blank, to provide your food and housing.
- Ask Him for a job for Dan.
- Ask Him for direction for Dan.
- Ask Him to give Dan favor with the people he meets while job hunting.
- Ask Him for the power to bend and turn with Dan and not to be stubborn or peevish.
- Ask Him, expressly, for miracles because He is very good at miracles and they cement your love and fervency for Him very much.
He will not become weary with you asking Him for everything. He loves when you pray! He loves to help you in your helplessness! Pray!
Read encouraging books, too. Even public libraries have books about people like Corrie TenBoom and George Mueller. This is because their lives were so astonishingly full of miracles from God, that even unbelievers enjoy reading about them. They had nothing, but God made sure they had everything. He has not changed a bit. He can do the same things for you.
Many of these people learned to thank God for their difficulties. This is a Biblical concept. When we thank Him for the difficult happenings in our lives, we show that we trust Him and His almighty power. When we grumble, we give place to the enemy. I can think of several reasons that this job loss could be good for you. It could be from God. It could eventually come to be the answer to one of your dearest desires.
In the meantime, Angela, please do not stop writing me. I know that the price of a few stamps would buy a food item, so I am sending you this pad of stationery and a roll of stamps. Use them however you need, not just on me. Keep me informed. Let me know if you need my guestroom. You know you two are always welcome here, no matter for how long.
If Dan does not mind, I will inquire here about openings, in his field of work. Who knows what might turn up? Ho, if you finally came to live near me, it would be too good, wouldn’t it!
You know I am praying for you both, that you not grow weary in well doing.
Much, much love,
Aunt Vic
The Conquering Mom.com 
I love this letter. It is so sweet. Aunt Vic is such a dear. She is the aunt we all wish we had, or maybe some were lucky enough to have. And this letter is so right.
I LOVE when she tells Angela to think of this time as an adventure. That really is the best way to look at it! It’s something I say to Nate all the time… I tell him “well, it will be an adventure.” Kind of like when we drove 30 minutes to eat our anniversary supper at our favorite BBQ restaurant only to find it closed… so it took us an hour to drive to a restaurant that is maybe 3 miles from our house. So what? It was fun. We had good conversation.
Thinking of life with him in this way keeps me from judging moments as positive or negative. All moments are good in some way because they are given to us by God, who is good! Even the hard moments are good because they mold us and shape us to be more Christ-like, if we obey and pray through them and use them to grow closer to God.
Some of the best memories I have with Nate are the ones of poor planning (canoeing the Little Missouri when, ahem, the deepest sections contained only 2 feet of water…) or things gone awry. I cherish those memories because I cried, then laughed until my stomach ached.
Thanks so much, Victoria!
Yes, just a little laughter can make any trouble lighter, Having someone love you enough to make fun come from the unfun things in life is a gift.
I love your easy-going ways, and I am sure Nate does, too.
We could all learn so much from you! 🙂