He is greater than the pain

Nobody ever asks God to, "Bring it on!"  Instead we hit our knees and pray for His help in times of trouble.  And, when things are going well we move through the days not always remembering to give thanks.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  James 1:12

I was asked recently by a friend how I keep smiling, laughing, and seeing the good things in life with all the stress and heavy burden I'm carrying right now.  Life is tough for me, but there is plenty of reasons to praise God and be thankful.

The nights are long, but I am able to work on a project that is filling me with hope.  The days are long, but I get to spend them with my son, learning right along with him.  I fall behind on the laundry, but we have been blessed with plenty of clothes.  The dishes pile up, but we have food to eat.  And though prices at the grocery store are getting higher every day, I have learned plenty of cooking tricks to feed my family quite well on what my sister calls "gourmet food."  {Cabbage.. gourmet???}

God has truly blessed me and my family.  How can I possibly not praise Him and give Him the glory for everything.  Is my suffering so much more than His was?  What He did for me, and you, can never compare to the hardest day of any of our lives.  I am continually in awe of His love.

"Life brings pain, but if that's what it takes to praise You, Jesus, bring the Rain." If it means people will ask me how I do it, and I can tell them, "Only through Him!!!"  "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!"

 

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  Romans 5:3-4