For me, the trials in my life have been some of the best as well as the worst times that I have gone through. You can't explain peace until you have been through a terrible storm and you can't know "the peace that passeth all understanding" until you feel that peace WHILE you are going through a storm. Here are some things that have helped me:
1. TRUST
There have been times when I thought I would "do" a certain trial on my own and that NEVER resulted in anything good. I can say that, in the midst of every trial that I have gone through with God, I have had incredible peace, almost numbness to my surroundings. Afterwards, I've thought, wow, I should have freaked out, but God has just taken care of me. It's hard to put into words but I've known that "He's got it."
2. LOOK OUTSIDE YOURSELF
A few months ago I was speaking to a dear friend who was having a rough time at life. She was going to be transferred into a nursing home for rehab and was scared about her near future. She was young but had some major health problems. She had been serving faithfully in ministry and I think she thought her life was over.
As we talked, I spoke to her about turning her misery into ministry. We spoke about how she could be a light in that nursing home and reach out and love those people there. I remember how excited she became. She suddenly had a goal, and when she decided to look outside of her problem, her life got brighter.
I Corinthians 1:3-4 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."
As we talked, I spoke to her about turning her misery into ministry. We spoke about how she could be a light in that nursing home and reach out and love those people there. I remember how excited she became. She suddenly had a goal, and when she decided to look outside of her problem, her life got brighter.
I Corinthians 1:3-4 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."
3. REJOICE
The sun will come out tomorrow. Psalm 30:5 "weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." You may come to know a dark moment when...
...you are in the hospital,
...just diagnosed,
...the phone rings and you are told that...
...you run out of money
...your child turns against you or God
..._________________________ (fill in the blank)
Can I tell you something? Tomorrow is a brand new day. An hour from now is a brand new hour. The sun WILL come up again. Better times will come. You can make friends through trials and, even better, see who your real friends are.
God will continue to shape us and grow us if we let him.
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. - James 1:2-4
So rejoice. Rejoice in God. Rejoice in those moments of relief. Rejoice in the memory of days that you have had with that loved one. Rejoice. Make the decision that you will rejoice. Your cup can be half full or even a quarter full.
It's all a matter of perspective. Some of the "richest people" are some of the most unhappy people while some of the most trial-ridden people are some of the most joy-filled. It's up to us. Will we trust? Will we look outside of ourselves and help others? Will we rejoice in the midst of our trial? It's up to us. - Rejoicing in the Present
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