I’ve never heard of anyone attending a “Congratulations on Your Difficult Times” party before. Maybe that’s because job losses, health situations, messed-up family relationships and disappointments are just plain hard to face.
So how can we cope when we’re reeling from the pink slip we’ve just received, or we’ve just gotten one of “those” phone calls from the doctor, or we’re grieving the loss of a loved one?
Here are some things God’s shown me when I’ve taken one of those unplanned—and unwanted—journeys:
1. I am never alone when I go through hard times.
2. His grace is sufficient. It will be there when I need it.
3. He will provide all that I need.
4. What I learn from those dark days isn’t wasted. God can use me if I’ll let Him.
5. Even when I don’t understand what God is doing, I can still trust Him.
6. Hardships draw me closer to Him in a way that often doesn’t happen when times are good.
7. Hugs, cards, a casserole or dessert, or some heartfelt words go a long way to help soothe a breaking heart.
Have you ever been reading your Bible and felt like God put a spotlight on a verse? That’s what happened recently as I read Psalm 119:71, “My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.”
Wow, I’d never thought of it like that before, “My suffering was good for me.” That phrase was a sweet reminder that God has a purpose in all that He does. And if He has a difficult circumstance for me to go through, I’d be foolish to complain about it.
Lord, during difficult moments in life, help me learn the lessons you want me to learn. Help me find the nuggets you want me to discover. And when I get to the end of those hard times, help me look back and see how those days of suffering were truly good for me. Amen.
