A few Saturdays ago, I woke to thunder and began to pray that it wouldn’t rain. Seconds later, I realized that it was 6:30 a.m., the time when my post The Best Thing One Can Do was scheduled to land in inboxes, mine included.
I wasn’t following Longfellow’s advice for a rainy day.
Sometimes weather is a painful metaphor for life. Trials don’t have to come from camping to do their work, and their work isn’t limited to relationships.
Chesterton says to look up. Longfellow, to let it rain. And James tells us to consider them with joy. None of those are my natural first response. They all pertain to perspective and perspective changes everything.
J’s perspective was different. He came out and said, “Well, I don’t have to worry about keeping the sod wet.”
He let it rain. He looked up. He found a rainbow.
Trials have power and the purpose. They will come. The handling of them is up to us.
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4
Sharing stories at Coffee for your Heart (holleygerth.com) and Unforced Rhythms.
An important perspective on something we all face. Yes and amen. Thank you for sharing with us at Unforced Rhythms, Natalie.
We all face these things, still sometimes I’m surprised. Perspective and growth, I guess. Thanks for your presence here and for hosting Unforced Rhythms.
This is a blessing, especially the Chesterton quote. I’ve been thinking today about how Jesus paints beauty on the backdrop of pain and weakness – essentially, trials. These words are congruent with my heart today. Thanks, Natalie. Stopped by from Kelli’s place.
Sometimes it’s hard to be willing to be in the place of his work, at least that’s true of me! Thanks for being here today.
So true that most of life relies upon how we respond to it. Lovely reflection Natalie!
Spoken from one in the trenches. Thanks for your kind words. It always makes me smile to find you here.
Beautiful! May we learn to look for the rainbows!
Absolutely! Thanks for your encouraging words.
Thanks for dropping by and sharing your encouraging words.
Beautiful perspective on trials. I love the way you blended the three quotes. Dropping by from Holley’s. 🙂