Finding Joy in The Challenge

James 1:2-4 (NLT)- Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete needing nothing.

Good Monday morning, my friends! Welcome back! I’m so glad that you are joining me. I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend, and that you are ready for the week ahead. Although I would prefer to not have a few things on our agenda for this week, I am ready to face them head on.

As many of you may already know, we received some news last week in regards to our daughter, Morgan’s health-  http://morgannicolewatson.com/2019/01/17/thursday-1-17-19. This news was not only unexpected, but disappointing as well. As we sat listening to one of her oncologist giving us the update, I took note of both John & Morgan’s response to it. Morgan was very quite, yet peaceful. John, although filled with many questions, appeared to accept the news with ease. Me, well I handled it as I have learned to do…one minute & one word at a time. It was at that moment that I realized just how much the two of them had grown in their faith since Morgan’s initial leukemia diagnosis in 2009. And, it was all due to the many challenges that they faced & overcame, as a result. This brings me to the topic for this week, and that is challenges.

Can you think of the toughest challenge that you have faced in your life, thus far?  For me, that would be Morgan’s illness. Now, is there something about that challenge that you would say that brought you joy while in the middle of it?  Perhaps some of you could think of something, if you thought long and hard. But, my guess is that the majority of you would have a hard time answering that question. So, why then does The Lord say that we should “consider it great joy” when troubles of any kind come our way in James 1:2-4? I mean, how does he expect us to be joy filled when our lives appear to be falling apart? How is that even possible? Better yet, what does that look like?

Well, having been through the fire many times in my own life, I have a few ideas in mind that may help you to find joy in challenges when they inevitably arise. Although, I haven’t always handled these challenges the way that I currently do, I have grown exponentially in this regard. Because of this growth and the peace that it has brought into my life, I would like to share them with you. By doing so, my hope is that they will have the same effect on you and your life. Or, at least move you closer in that direction.

Starting tomorrow through Thursday, I will be sharing my ideas with you. If this is something that you think will be helpful for you, please plan on meeting me here each day. You can click the follow button on the website to get reminders, and you can also like my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/thefaithfilledtraveler/ to follow me throughout the day. In the mean time, have an awesome Monday, everyone. See you soon!

Warmest regards,

Salina Watson