Trials    

 

John 16:33  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus

Philippians 4:6-7  “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

 

It’s all relative when we’re dealing with disappointments and trials. What may be a major catastrophe to one is but a pesky flea to another ("For that which is but a flea-biting to one, causeth insufferable torment to another"-Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, 1621). God makes this clear in my life, time and again. Recently, I was dealing with a minor health issue and feeling sorry for myself while reading the Humans of New York Facebook page. Humans of New York is the work of Brandon Stanton, a photographer who features stories of the people he photographs on the street. Currently, he is covering stories from refugees making their way across Europe. When I read the stories about people who have no choice but to get on a small plastic boat when they’ve given all of their savings to a smuggler who promises a better future, I feel like my problems are miniscule.

 

My choice is to believe that God is working in our lives, crafting these trials (whatever they may be) into something we can work with…fostering resilience, a better tomorrow, an appreciation for God’s sovereignty and love when our lot improves(or even when it doesn’t!), and, most importantly, trust in Him. While I can’t imagine what these people go through to secure a safer future for themselves and their families, I trust that God is with them in their tribulations, whatever the outcome may be. And we know that he is with us in our “pesky flea” sort of tribulations, also.

 

Dear Lord: I know that my problems are not always earth-shattering. Thank you for that! When it feels like they are, or if they turn into something that I feel I can’t handle, help me to remember that there is nothing that can keep you from leading me through them. Help me put my trust in You, day after day. Amen.

 

(To follow Humans of New York, go to: www.humansofnewyork.com or “like” the Facebook page.)