Table of contents for April 2017 in Guideposts

I never understood why T.S. Eliot said that April was the cruelest month. Was it because he had to pay his taxes? Was it the temperamental weather? Did he hate baseball? Well, there’s nothing cruel about your April issue (or any issue of Guideposts, for that matter). Quite the contrary. Our stories this month are full of hope and inspiration, starting with actor Sam Worthington’s. He’s one of the stars of the movie adaptation of the best-selling novel The Shack. In his story, Sam tells how making The Shack deepened his faith and reveals the little miracles that occurred on set. Jack the therapy dog, whom you’ll meet on page 24, started out as the runt of the litter, shy and uncertain. Who knew he would turn out to be…

ON THE BUS I don’t drive so I ride the city bus a lot. I’m always meeting new people at bus stops or on the bus. Usually we just make small talk—the weather, how our downtown is changing or the bus being late. But sometimes people have something bigger on their mind. That’s when I make an extra effort to be present and listen. People tell me about problems with their children, their health, their finances. It’s amazing what a stranger will confide! Back home in the evening, I reflect on the conversations and pray for each person I talked to on my bus route. I hope these prayers make their burdens a little bit lighter. GERALDINE McDOUGALL Cincinnati, Ohio ALL PURPOSE I’m a lay speaker for my church. I…

OTHER KIDS WERE STARTING KINDERGARTEN. MY daughter, Kaylee, was starting chemotherapy, one of six grueling rounds she underwent after being diagnosed with neuroblastoma at age four. Doctors said she had a 20 to 30 percent chance of surviving. “That’s a number,” I said. “That’s not my daughter.” My husband, Jamie, and I prayed for guidance and opted for an aggressive treatment at the Cleveland Clinic. We tried our best to keep things as normal as possible, but Kaylee didn’t understand what was happening. Whenever a nurse started an IV, Kaylee would ask why she had to get another “pokey.” Enter Miss Sarah, a child life specialist. She spent hours working with Kaylee. She explained things about cancer to Kaylee—and me—in terms she could understand. Miss Sarah became like a family…

Mom wouldn’t have wanted me to be alone on Passover, but what could I do? I stood at the kitchen counter in my Manhattan apartment, sorting through my groceries, taking out the eggs, oil, matzo meal and kosher salt that I’d bought to make her matzo ball recipe. My father and two older sisters would be getting together in Boston for the traditional Seder meal, our first since Mom’s death, but I had to work the next day and couldn’t join them. My lonely dinner would have to suffice. Mom had been the glue in our family, nurturing my siblings and me like the rosebushes she lovingly tended in her front yard. We each dealt with her death in our own way. One of my sisters saw a counselor, who…

LIFELONG READER In seventh grade, I was an indifferent student. My English teacher called my mom to tell her I needed to improve my reading skills. The best way to do that, she said, was to read more. She asked if I enjoyed reading anything in particular. Mom said I’d shown an interest in the stories in Guideposts. My teacher encouraged her to have me read them as often as possible. Out came a stash of back issues. Every night before bed, I would read an issue. It was homework I actually looked forward to. The stories not only were entertaining but also gave me faith that God was at work in my life. I tried harder at school and got better grades. Guideposts also sparked a love of reading.…

Where Jesus Walked Join us as we journey through the ancient streets of Jerusalem, from Christ’s triumphant entrance on Palm Sunday to his crucifixion at Golgotha and his resurrection from the tomb. See these powerful Holy Land photos at guideposts.org/holyweek Accentuate the Positive Find inspiration and encouragement in our gallery of positive-thinking wisdom from Guideposts founder Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. guideposts.org/nvpquotes Inspiring Easter Quotes Celebrate this holiest of seasons with a collection of uplifting quotes about the beauty of Easter. guideposts.org/easterquotes Stress Less April is Stress Awareness Month. Try our seven tips for getting a handle on whatever is stressing you out. guideposts.org/stresstips…

It’s a small party, just as dad would want it: Mom; my older sister, Melissa, and her family; me, my wife and our two kids; and Dad. All the attention makes him squirm anyway. The plastic birthday crown we’ve put on him, the T-shirt announcing his new status as an octogenarian, a ribbon labeling him “World’s Greatest Grandpa.” Mylar balloons bob near the ceiling, tethered to a chair. Instead of making me happy, they remind me of my father’s mortality. What happens when the balloons are released, drifting into the sky until they are only a memory? How will I manage when Dad is no longer around? We try to jog his foggy memory by telling stories from my childhood. “Dad, remember when…?” My sister goes first. “Dad, remember when…

The van was waiting right outside the hospital doors. Mom and Dad lifted me from the wheelchair, careful not to jostle my left leg, and hoisted me into the backseat. I’d been hospitalized for 56 days, first in Boston, then here in Houston. Finally, I was ready to go home. But the moment we pulled into traffic, cars all around us, I started to panic. My heart pounded. My mind raced. I was leaving the hospital, the teams of doctors and nurses and physical therapists… for what? I’d be confined to my bed, still unable to walk on my shattered legs, the left one needing to be kept elevated 24/7. Mom and Dad would hover, doing their best to care for me. I didn’t want to be an invalid. I…

SPECIAL DELIVERY The tax statement was the last straw. I calculated how much money my husband, Shawn, and I would have in the bank after payment. Practically nothing. We couldn’t have picked a worse time to have a baby! In the months since we’d moved into our new home, everything had gone wrong. First I lost my job. It’s not easy looking for work when you’re pregnant. Then Shawn’s union went on strike. We barely had money coming in. Our medical benefits were cut off—just when I needed my ob-gyn visits most. Shawn tried to hide his fears, but I could see him getting more worried. I’d never felt so powerless. Friends and family on Facebook offered prayers. Mom even put us on a prayer chain. Still I felt abandoned…

“I’ve been guilty of not showing my faith and just praying when something bad happened and not being thankful when things turned good. All good is from God.” actor KEVIN JAMES “Nothing you’ve done in the past is a waste. It’s all grist for your future.” from Habit Changers, by M. J. RYAN “Be fearless in trying new things, whether they are physical, mental or emotional. Being afraid can challenge you to go to the next level.” RITA WILSON, actress “Aspire to inspire.” message seen on a T-shirt in New York City “Confidence is great, but arrogance is really deadly, and there’s a fine line there.” JODI GOLDSTEIN, managing director of Harvard Innovation Labs “While we are waiting on God, we are waiting with God.” LOUIE GIGLIO, pastor of Passion City Church in…

Sometimes as an actor you feel an instinctual connection to a role, but it’s only in hindsight, after the filming is over, that you can see why you wanted to do that movie. Why you needed to play that particular role as part of your own spiritual journey. That’s what happened to me with Mack, the lead character in The Shack. When I first read the script, based on the novel by William Paul Young, I knew I wanted to be in it. Only looking back now do I fully understand why. The book, as you probably know, was a huge best seller. Young originally wrote it as a Christmas present for his kids. He never expected that its message of hope in the midst of despair would reach millions.…