Consider it all joy when you fall into various trials. You're joking right?

The morning of the day I knew was going to be the most difficult in my life, I woke up with an old hymn on my heart:- “Oh joy that seeks me through the pain, I cannot ask to hide from thee. I trace the rainbow through the rain and feel the promise is not vain, that morn will tearless be.” Next came the memory of a verse from Hebrews speaking of Jesus “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross despising the shame.” I felt I was being told that pain is a barrier the other side of which is joy.

I have wrestled with the admonition in the title of this post. I know at some level secular Psychology and even common sense will tell us that “it is no use crying over spilt milk.” Your (my) kicking, screaming and staying in denial is not going to help! So why not just suck it up and get on with life? It all makes perfect sense logically, but our emotions (mine in particular) are not necessarily subject to cold cool and hard logic. Even the best advice is more often than not far easier to say, than it is to do!

But for me, there is One who works in me both in my desire to do and in the wherewithal to do what otherwise would be impossible. I did kick and scream for a while, before I came to the stage where I can say that I am learning to stop fighting the people and circumstances I have no influence over. It's called acceptance. But I can also say that I really am finding that path, and that strangely the deeper the trial the more (with His help) I am able to stay close to the One who comforts and strengthens me. In fact I am even having joy in these times. So no I am not joking and, by the way in case you did not guess it, His name is Jesus!