There is Treasure in our Trials

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I don't know about you but when I look back on some of my difficult times, I can see the rewards now that it's all over.  Being diagnosed with MS was a relief at first because everyone including the doctors thought that I was some kind of hypochondriac.  I spent so much time going to one doctor after another, to Urgent Care and ER.  My insurance company actually sent me a letter to find out if I had some sort of accident to make sure that someone else wasn't responsible for my issues.  Isn't that something else?

 My diagnosis also slowed me down in a good way.  I took the time to reevalute everything in my life and I learned how to distinguish what was really important.  Sometimes we have way more on our plate than we can handle and at the time we don't even realize it.  I actually feel special, I mean I even have the best parking spots ;)  It actually brought my entire family closer than we already were.  They even learned how to see life in a better light.

Another example is when my husband was in a terrible motorcycle accident.  You see, he landed between 2 crosses where other bikes went down and the riders didn't make it.  My husband saw that as God giving him a second chance to make some changes in his life.  The changes were gradual but he finally seems to really get what life is all about.  His priorities were way off.  Now he understands the order of things.  I consider that to be a huge reward.  He actually put's me first (after God of course), like a husband should.  After being together for 17 years and married for 14 years, our marriage is in a good place and I know that the accident was the beginning of our fresh start as a couple.  When we do have problems, the level of respect that we have for each other is always there and ultimately helps us get through things sooner.

So you see, there really is treasure in our trials.  Our trials are the difficult points in our life where we're not sure how we are going to get through it.  These times of testing will either make us better or bitter.  It's up to us and the outlook we choose to take.  I choose to hold on to God's unchanging hand.  He wants us to be strong in character and ready for anything.  Trust me, I have a 15 year old daughter and 2 more that are  9 and 10 going on 17, so I really do need to be ready for anything.