Daly Focus: Seeking the Light

IT CAN BE TOUGH TO ESCAPE THE “WINTER BLUES” even during the most uneventful and peaceful of the year’s coldest months. The weather can be dreary, and the days, darker. If you live in Portland, Oregon, for example, you enjoy 15 hours and 41 minutes of daylight at the summer solstice but only eight hours and 42 minutes at the winter solstice.

And this winter has been especially challenging. It kicked off with one of the most contentious elections in our nation’s history and plodded forward under the lingering cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s enough to create despair in the stoutest of hearts. Winter blues indeed!

One of the reasons we’re so passionate about building strong families here at Focus on the Family is because family is one of the greatest gifts to help us weather life’s storms. It’s a God-given provision for safety, shelter and refuge.

Even so, we know that sometimes the most stable and grounded families can face tough challenges. You’ll find articles in this issue that focus on godly men and women who have walked incredibly difficult paths. Perhaps you can relate to these individuals on a personal level.

If you are suffering from the winter blues or something much more serious, please know that we’re here for you at Focus on the Family. In fact, we have a team of licensed family and pastoral counselors who would be happy to offer you a free consultation over the phone and, if needed, direct you to ongoing help in your area. If you’d like to speak with them, just call 855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain time). It would be our privilege to minister to you in this way.

Take heart—spring is coming! The days are already growing longer, and in a few short weeks, temperatures will start warming and we’ll begin to see flowers, green leaves, blue skies and signs of life. Until then, may we all find hope in the One who reminded us, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Jim Daly