Dignifying Troubles: Finding Purpose in Hard Times

As I sit here this morning reading and wondering what we will talk about, my mind continues to slip to Wednesday’s surgery and how this has seemingly drug on forever. In fact, just this weekend I caught myself telling a couple folks how many surgeries and treatments I’ve had in eighteen months…basically complaining. I hate that I was doing it, not sure why I went down that road, but I did. But, I got my topic! The hard times you’ve been through, the ones your going through now and the ones you will go through are not for nothing. So don’t complain. See how all that worked out!? Haha“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,”James 1:2 Look, I know it’s hard and I fail at it too, but we need to learn to dignify the troubles we are going through. What does that mean you may ask? Well, it means we don’t complain about it. Try and stay in a thankful frame of mind knowing that all of this is for a reason. And don’t try and hurry through it. I mean let it runs it’s course. Every hard time has a built-in time scale. You think it will never end? It will. And when it’s over, it’s over.For too many years I failed when troubles came, I still do sometimes. (See into) I complained, grumbled, murmured, and forgot that all of this has a purpose and if I allow it to take its course, in due time it will be revealed to me why. My grandmother, whom ya’ll would’ve loved, always said, “this too will pass”. And you know what? She’s always been right. God has been gracious to me, giving me many, many more chances to pass. Way more than I deserve. Has He not been gracious to you? Be Nice, Grace Wins.