In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. - 1 Peter 1:6-9
Dear heavenly Father,
Too often I think that joy is a destination at the end of a great struggle, when in fact, joy is knowing that during my struggle you are busy graciously refining me into the person you have always wanted me to be. The journey of faith is actually a very cool place to be. It means I am alive, deeply loved, profoundly valuable, and destined for better days where you will show me and others what great things you can do with simple sinners when you put your grace to work. I will rejoice today in the struggle because I know it is valuable part of what will be. Help me to somehow communicate this grace filled way of looking at life's struggles to anyone I might meet today who is living in the tension between infancy and heaven. AMEN
Pastor Don Patterson
Life on a fallen earth is a never ending struggle for everyone. The sooner we see the divine purposes at work during this epic journey, the sooner we become useful for others traveling with us.