Consider It...

I was reading James today and wanted to share this:

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
James 1:2-8

It seems to be so hard to 'consider it pure joy' at first when you are going through difficult things. I realized though when you really sit down to think about it...it is a privilege that we get to go through tough stuff. That stuff makes us so much stronger in the end...it prepares us for what God has in mind for our lives and for anything that might come our way. I have learned that the stuff we go through brings us so much closer to God...in a way that can only happen through challenges and problems. Those times also reveal so much about those close to you. It shows who's really going to be there for you and who was befriending you because it was convenient for them. It's funny how people pop in and out of our lives based on convenience rather than being unconditional. It's so great though, to see those who are unconditional...to be able to know who the people are that you can truly count on.

I am grateful for those in my life that I can truly count on! The family and friend that Matt and I have that we know are there for us, no matter what...They rock :)