Junk

"...and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4

This verse has been so real to me over the past few months. I have come to the realization that life is not ever what we think it will or should be. If you are anything like me, we get caught up in the things of this world that wound us. And they are many! The funny thing about following Jesus, is that when we make that decision to surrender our lives and follow Him, we are in turn making the decision to join Him in His suffering. If you are truly trying to follow Christ, you may feel like an outcast from the world. I know I do. Sometimes, I even wonder why I do this at all. Maybe you have been there. If not, I am guessing you will find yourself there someday. Then, in the midst of my pain, my heart goes to the words that Paul writes to the Romans. Rejoice in our suffering, persevere, and that all of the pain and crap in our lives builds character, and that in turn produces hope. What a counter-cultural thought; to rejoice in our sufferings. I am in the midst of trying to really understand what that means and live it out in my life. It is a totally new way of thinking, it provides a completely different outlook on life, and as crazy as it may sound, it does provide a glimer of light in the midst of darkness. Maybe you are a Switchfoot fan, maybe you are not, but on their newest CD, there is a song called "The shadow proves the sunshine." If anything, I hope and pray that throughout this week that you will think about the verse in Romans. And that maybe God would reveal to you in the midst of the trials and the hard things in your life, that the shadow does prove the sunshine. It is an absolute honor and privilege to be on this journey with you!