Danny slathered peanut butter on three slices of bread, jelly on another three, and slapped the slices together. Dropping each sandwich into a plastic bag, he placed one in each of the three waiting lunchboxes. He glanced at the clock and panicked. “Hurry up, kids. We’ve got to leave in 5 minutes.”

Maddie and the twins spooned the last of their cereal into their mouths and ran upstairs to brush their teeth. Danny stacked the bowls in the dishwasher, slung his laptop bag over his shoulder, and herded the kids out the door, each of them with their lunches tucked into their backpacks. He threw his bag in the car and hurried to the end of the long driveway with the kids, not a moment too soon. The big yellow bus arrived thirty seconds later.

The kids safely off to school, Danny sprinted back down the driveway and drove to work. How long could he keep this up? He adored the kids, but being a single dad was exhausting. He called the hospital from the car, and Emily answered on the first ring.

“Hi gorgeous,” Danny said.

Emily’s tired laugh was music to his hears. “I hardly feel gorgeous right now.”

“You’ll always be gorgeous to me.”

“Are you going to bring the kids to visit tonight?” Emily’s voice was hopeful.

“Of course. You know we can’t stand not having you home.”

“Thanks, honey. I wish I could be home, too, but not until they get all these treatments straightened out.”

“I miss you so much.” Danny sat at the traffic light, relishing these few moments of calm, chatting with his wife, between the chaos of home and work.

“I miss you, too. But God has a different plan for us right now.”

“I wish He didn’t.” The light turned green, and Danny continued the drive to the office. “Everything was perfect before you got sick. Now you’re getting poked and prodded all day long, and I am bumbling through the father routine, just barely getting by. At least I finally know the right ratio of peanut butter and jelly to put on the kids’ sandwiches.”

Emily laughed again. “It’s not rocket science. I’m glad you got that worked out. I wouldn’t want my poor children to have sub-standard lunches. They’d be the ridicule of Chester Elementary.”

“You think I’m kidding, but I’m not. That first day, they told me I didn’t put enough jelly on their sandwiches. We need you here at home, no matter what God’s plan is. I don’t think I can handle this for much longer.”

Emily was quiet for a moment. “What would you do if you came downstairs, and instead of peanut butter, jelly, and bread, you had a basket of strawberries, a bag of peanuts, and a sheaf of wheat?”

Danny flicked on his turn signal and turned onto Main Street. “I’d be very confused. Why are you asking?”

“In order to make peanut butter, you grind up the peanuts. To make jelly, you crush the berries. And to make bread, you mill the wheat. Having those three ingredients aren’t enough. God knows you’re a good dad. But in order to be a great dad, you need to allow him to shape you through trials. You’ll trust God more through this, and the time you’re spending with the kids now is priceless.”

Danny pulled over to the side of the road, unable to concentrate on anything other than Emily’s words. “You really think so?”

“I know so. Every time you’ve visited with the kids, I’ve seen your connection growing stronger. With my absence, you’re forced to become a bigger part of their lives. I want nothing more than to come home and be a part of that again, but I’m so blessed to see God bringing you all together.”

Danny swallowed hard. “Thank you, Em. I’m not sure how you do it. You’re the one in a hospital bed, but you continue to bless me. You truly are a gift from God, and I don’t deserve you. I never thought about it that way before, but I’ve been praying to God like crazy ever since you were diagnosed. Maybe God does know what He’s doing.” He pulled back onto the road, his mood lighter than it had been all week. “Hey God, I get it now. I’m no longer strawberries and peanuts. I’m ready for you to make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich now. So please bring Emily home.”

John 16:33

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

God, it’s hard for us sometimes to see why we need to go through trials. But You warn us we’ll have trouble in this life. Help us to be strong through our trials so we can draw close to You and to others. Thank You for shaping us into the kind of people You can use. In Jesus’ name, Amen.