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In nine decades, Grounds has seen his share of trials: a flood that ruined many of his sermon and lecture notes, his wife's struggle against cancer, a saboteur's attack on an airplane. "For me, the controlling principle in prayer comes out of Jesus' model in Gethsemane: 'Remove this cup … nevertheless, thy will be done.' I have unquestioning confidence in God's ability to accomplish whatever God wants—the Resurrection proves that—but I also believe that other spiritual forces are trying to frustrate the forces of good. I accept mystery and paradox. When you've been around as long as I have, you have to. Like the Chinese philosopher riding backwards on a donkey, we live life forward, but only understand it backward."

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Previous Yancey columns for Christianity Today include:

For God's Sake | What 147 elk taught me about prayer. (March 1, 2006)

The Word on the Street | What the homeless taught me about prayer. (Dec. 29, 2005)

Exploring a Parallel Universe | Why does the word evangelical threaten so many people in our culture? (Nov. 3, 2005)

God Behind Barbed Wire | How a Nazi-soldier-turned-theologian found hope. (Aug. 29, 2005)

The Japanese Joseph | What the North Korean regime meant for evil, God used for good. (June 21, 2005)

A Bow and a Kiss | Authentic worship reveals both the friendship and fear of God. (April 28, 2005)

Global Suspense | The trick of faith is to believe in advance what will only make sense in reverse. (March 01, 2005)

Back from the Brothel | Thanks to brave ministries, prostitutes are still entering the kingdom. (Jan. 05, 2005)

Hope for Abraham's Sons | What will it take for us to overcome this violent world? (Oct. 27, 2004)

Forgetting God | Why decadence drives out discipline. (Aug. 30, 2004)

Discreet and Dynamic | Why, with no apparent resources, Chinese churches thrive. (June 28, 2004)

Doubting the Doomsayers | Thank God not everything they say is true. (April 30, 2004)

Cry, The Beloved Continent | Don't let AIDS steal African children's future. (March 04, 2004)

The Colonizers | The best preachers have challenged earth to become more like heaven. (Jan. 16, 2004)

The Leprosy Doctor | Paul Brand showed how to serve others sacrificially and emerge with joy. (Oct. 23, 2003)

Yancey's Where is God When it Hurts, Special Edition, Soul Survivor: How My Faith Survived the Church, and his latest book, Rumors of Another World, are available on Christianbook.com.

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May 2006, Vol. 50, No. 5