The Blessing of Struggles

It is easy to dread the trying times, to ask for the peaceful times and keep hoping things stay fine. But there is no better opportunity to stand in faith than when things go wrong. 

Such difficult times will stir hosts of emotions in you, and mostly unpleasant ones! It is good to acknowledge them and not be in denial, and afterwards, go against the tides and react right because you always have a cloud of witnesses. 

It is in such moments of darkness that you have the greatest opportunity to shine out. In times of weakness that God gives you strength, when strife prevails that love changes things.

A beautiful puritan prayer puts things in perspective for us.

The Valley of Vision

LORD, high and holy, meek and lowly, 

Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,

where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights; 

hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, 

that to be low is to be high, 

that the broken heart is the healed heart, 

that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, 

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, 

that to have nothing is to possess all, 

that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, 

that to give is to receive, 

that the valley is the place of vision. 

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, 

and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine; 

Let me find thy light in my darkness, 

thy life in my death, 

thy joy in my sorrow, 

thy grace in my sin, 

thy riches in my poverty 

thy glory in my valley

Let the time of hurt be your time to grow