In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 1st Peter 1:6

The conversation between two teenage brothers became heated. The older one had gone and got a job at a golf course. Many of the tasks he had to perform were not pleasant ones. He had to pull weeds, clean the bathrooms, and change all the smelly trash cans. His younger brother thought this was demeaning and could not see himself ever stooping to such tasks. The older one was trying to defend his new means of income saying that everyone needed to start somewhere. He tried pointing out that we learn from every experience and often more from the worst ones. The little brother would not accept this philosophy. He preferred to believe that bad was never good and that he would avoid it at all cost. What about us? Is there any good that can come from our trials or suffering?

Everyone will have to face troubles. It is never fun. Yet there is one thing good that can come from our struggles. We may just come to the realization that we need a little help from above. If we can see that we are not perfect and that we do not live in a perfect world, then perhaps we will look to one who IS perfect. When we look to Christ, we step into His perfect love. When we put our hope and trust in Him, then our current suffering is not a loss. It becomes something that ties us to God! He wants only the best for us and can only help us if we depend on Him. So, however bad our situation seems, our faith can place us close to the One who will take care of all the details and assure us of being with Him forever!

Dear Lord,

Grow our faith in You through our trials. If we must suffer today, let us rejoice to know that our grief and trials are throwing us further on You and closer all the time, we pray!

Amen