All Is Well
A Story of Extravagant Love and Redemption
One week before Christmas several years ago, my boss and his wife generously treated our staff to an afternoon of extravagance. Each of us enjoyed pampering with a massage, facial and manicure. As I lay on the massage table, the delightful scent of creams applied to my face overwhelmed me with emotion. “ This is pure extravagance— something we, as women, don’t often treat ourselves to, especially all in one afternoon!” Tears welled up and one escaped down my cheek. I hoped the aesthetician hadn’t noticed. My tears weren’t just triggered by the spa treatments, but also by reflecting on God’s extravagant love.
In our small rural community, I felt blessed to work with a wonderful team for a compassionate dentist. My husband Randy and I had shared life there for almost twenty years — a truly extravagant gift after his years battling alcoholism.
As I lay with warm moist towels wrapped around my face, Christmas music played in the background. The Christmas hymn, All Is Well, stirred my emotions even more. The first time I heard this song, I felt like I was drowning in despair. My marriage seemed hopeless. However, this song promised otherwise. Because Jesus had come into this hurting world, there was hope. During those dark times, I purchased the children’s book, All is Well by Frank Peretti. I’d read the story to our sons, and they…
