Each day holds blessings and struggles. Each day, you and I have an opportunity to fight for joy, give in to melancholy, or drown in despondency. Despite the day's circumstances, attitude is a choice. Everyone has experienced trials, whether its a cancer diagnosis, a break-up, or a career termination. No trial is any less impactful or significant than another, because everyone's perception of what is "difficult", "traumatic", or "depressing" is different. Personally, I've been dealing with an onslaught of memories concerning someone I used to be very close to. These recollections sneak into my thoughts during my quiet time, while I'm sitting in a desk at school, and when I'm laying in bed at night. I'm also trying to accept the fact that the Lord wants me to stay single for an indefinite amount of time-a difficult task for someone who recently got out of a two-year relationship. Amazing guys step out of the background of my life, just to float back into the abyss due to "bad timing". I begin comparing myself to other girls, settling for lower-caliber guys, desperately pursuing love and affection to fill the void left by my break-up that I know only the Lord can fill.
For what seems like the first time in my life, I'm truly pursuing a relationship with God, yet I can't manage to escape my past desires and longings.
Needless to say, its frustrating.
Maybe your current struggle seems more life-changing than mine. Perhaps you're like my amazing friend, T, who's praying for a miracle to heal his grandmother's tumors. Perhaps you're like someone I used to know who lost a family member to suicide. Perhaps you're floundering in debt, or guilt, or failure.
Whatever your struggle, God can lift you out of it. Yes, you've heard that a thousand times before. You've read every Bible verse, self-help book, and inspirational blog post about suffering, to no avail. But I'm not here to inspire you, simply to act as Jesus does- by sitting in your struggle with you. Jesus doesn't give us an escape route to flee from sorrows, but he does promise to walk us through it. Regardless of how phenomenal your friends and family are, they are only human. They will fail you at one point or another, whether it's intentional or accidental. That's the beautiful thing about Christ- he's without fault. He's incapable of failure. Do you really expect the Creator of the Universe and Ultimate Sacrifice to let you drown?
Each morning in my quiet time, I sit on the back porch and watch as the morning dew and soft sunrise coats the wildflowers in remarkable serenity. I gaze, awestruck, at the flowers that were small blooms just one day before. God has been teaching me something through His creation: He handcrafted those flowers to sprinkle beauty into my life. Each petal, each bloom, each stalk serves as a tiny Tiffany box from the Lord. The key to finding joy in tribulation is trusting in God's provision and seeking the beautiful in the everyday. Christ created music, flowers, and books to fill our souls with pleasure. Don't allow your problems to take center stage while His creation flitters in the background. Take a deep breath and lift your eyes to the masterpiece of life.
"I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in His presence, rejoicing in His whole world and delighting in mankind."
Proverbs 8:30b-31
