Pure joy [Trials of various kinds]

 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith* produces steadfastness (James 1:2-3)

 *And what is faith? This faith that is spoken of is so far beyond the "I know that Jesus died for my sins" kind of thing, but is rather something much more foundational. See what it says in Hebrews:

...Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ... And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ...For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one... (Hebrews 11:1, 6, 10:34)

Look at that part in the middle - without faith it's impossible to please him. And there are two facets of that called out in the words following: first, that you've got to believe that God is actually real - that he exists, as it says above, and then secondly, that he's got good things in store for those who are looking for him. (And we know from Jeremiah 29:13 and Deuteronomy 4:29, etc, that whole-hearted seeking results in finding him! So it doesn't just end with the looking/seeking...)

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18)

There's the reward again - something glorious is coming.

And I think, too, that on an even more basic level, faith means simply believing what he says. Okay, so that sounds kind of trivial and redundant when I type it, but if you really think about it, it's necessary, isn't it? You can't really believe that God is (God) if you don't really believe what he says. And look at what he says to us here through Paul.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.(Romans 8:28)

Do you believe that? "All things" either really means all things, or it doesn't. Either we believe him, or we don't. And if we believe him, then it really means that all things are for our good! All things! Easy things, hard things, boring things, exciting things, "bad" things, "good" things - everything!!

And then this is where it's really been hitting me lately. Check these out, if you are one who believes what he says to you:

...give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.(1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving...[and later in the chapter] ... giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father ... (Ephesians 5:4, 20a)

Giving thanks for what? For everything, and in all circumstances.

We've had some circumstances lately, I can tell you. Well, I won't actually tell you because some of these things do not fall under the purview of this blog, but the actual details don't matter as much as what our response to them ought to be. I can tell you this - they are included in the everything and all that are listed above. It's not easy. I'm finding, as God has made this more evident to me, that I am aware of how often, "Oh, bummer," or the likes finds its way across my lips. Does that sound like thanks-giving to you? Nope. Not to me, either. And in those words, I'm hearing from inside of me a lack of faith! On some instinctual level, I am NOT believing that all things are working out for my good, because if I believe that to the core, then Not A Single Thing in my life can be described as a bummer.

So I've been practicing this for the last few days, and man is it hard, and on the flip side, wow is it powerful. I'm in the basement switching laundry, and find there's a load already dry in the dryer, and I have no empty basket to carry it upstairs because there are already four baskets full of laundry waiting to be folded in the middle of the living room.  

Blog posts are better with pictures, right? Well, enjoy.

And what was my immediate response? Oh bummer. Oh. Wait. NO. This, too, is for my good. How? I don't have a clue. But if I choose to stand firm with the shield of faith protecting me and truth surrounding me, I have found that those moments are turned into awe and worship. Really, God? This, too - even this simple laundry basket situation - is something you are working out for my good?? Well, I can't wait to hear how that one plays out. You're pretty incredible.

Two more days until surgery. Bobbi has said that she's not nervous at all about the surgery...but she is nervous about the six weeks in a cast. I tend to agree with her. We are fully expecting the whole range of teenage emotions to come into play over the next six weeks, and are bracing ourselves for the impact. I have no doubt that there's a reason the last two weeks or so have been ones where God has brought these things from his word to my mind, through my own reading, through our small Bible study group. That, too, is no accident.

I don't have any guarantee that I will succeed, and certainly not at all times (as the laundry incident and countless others from even just the last few days will attest), but these are the marching orders from my Lord/commanding officer, and I have the chance to choose to count it all joy in the days ahead when my faith is going to be tested in this way. And what to do if (when!) I fall? Well, here's a snippet from the first music album I ever owned:

Lately I've been winning battles left and right
But even winners can get wounded in the fight
People say that I'm amazing
Strong beyond my years
But they don't see inside of me
I'm hiding all the tears

They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while
'Cause deep inside this armor
The warrior is a child (Twila Paris - The Warrior is a Child)

When I fall, I have Someone to pick me up and put me back on the path. I'm all over the place tonight. Look at this line from Psalm 23: He guides me in paths of righteousness. I don't have to find them myself. He puts me there, and I just have to walk in it.

Onward.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)

[For those of you readers who are praying for us, this is how we are asking you to direct your prayers in the weeks ahead. Thank you!]