Do you know what’s interesting about trials? They’re not so much what we think. They aren’t here to break us or to make our lives miserable. They come for the purpose of testing our faith. In other words, they show us where we’re at, and in doing so they give us an opportunity to learn and to grow.
I started reading Jonah today, and as I got to the last chapter I noticed that we have a little something in common: we both like to pout every once in a while. We say things we shouldn’t in the heat of the moment, and wish we could take them back.
That’s what trials do–they either bring out the pout or they bring out the patience, the choice is really up to us.
You see, Jonah had a choice to make, as he faced the scorching winds of adversity. Yes, the plant withered and the heat rose, but in that moment of frustration he was given a choice–grow from adversity or grumble through adversity, he chose the latter of the two.
Choosing well is one of the hardest things to do. Why? Because it always comes at the most inconvenient time when we’re not feeling up to it. But I’ll tell you something, the higher road is always the best road to take. It’s the one that helps you sleep at night. The one that mends a friendship and the one that keeps the peace. It’s the road that reminds us of all the blessings we have, and the road that leads to joy.
If I could close with 10 steps to recapturing joy, my friend, they’d be this:
- Count your blessings.
- Repeat the first step nine times.
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Tilling the Soil
Read about the trial of Jonah in Jonah chapter 4, OR read the entire book which is only 4 chapters long.
Planting Hope
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8, KJV)
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Darlene Schacht and her husband Michael live in Manitoba Canada where the summers are beautiful and the winters are cold. Together they’ve come to learn that relationships aren’t always easy, but that marriage, the way God intended it to be, is a treasure worth fighting for.
She began her publishing journey about twelve years ago when she pioneered one of the first online magazines for Christian women, known at the time as “Christian Women Online Magazine.” After three years, Darlene left CWO to blog as a solo author at Time-Warp Wife Ministries.
It was also during this transition that she worked alongside actress Candace Cameron Bure to write the NYT Best-Selling book, Reshaping it All: Motivation for Spiritual and Physical Fitness. Reshaping it All was the winner of both the 2011 USA Best Book Awards and the 2012 Christian Reading Retailers Choice Awards.
Author of more than 15 books, Darlene continues to write and to minister to her readers through her blog at TimeWarpWife.com.
Connect with Darlene:
Facebook: @timewarpwife
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You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife