My disappointment was great. I had hoped for so much more. As I wallowed in my sorrow, I realized that my disappointment was rooted in my expectations. My hopes were dashed because my focus was on me. Could joy be present in the midst of my abysmal circumstances? Where was God?
The apostle Paul suggests that my attitude was wrong. Finding God in difficult life circumstances totally changes my perspective. He says,
…we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:2-5 ESV)
Finding God helps me realize that He has purpose for all of my life's circumstances. This brings me hope and my heart rejoices. The discipline of looking beyond me and locating God is hard work. Will you join me this week in shifting our focus from us to God?
Sharing the journey with you,
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