We all go through challenging times in our lives and temporarily loose our focus. Ever wondered about the role of adversity? I found this excellent article (Blessings from Working with a Wayward Child By Larry Barkdull in Meridian's online magazine.) It's filled with thought provoking thoughts that helped me get centered once again.
1. When adversity strikes, we often focus on what it is doing TO us rather than what it is doing FOR us. The process of experiencing adversity is designed to chip away at our rough edges and strengthen muscles of character and spirituality that are essential to OUR GROWTH.
2. Likewise, because the Lord wants us to keep growing in spirituality and moving toward exaltation, He will give us pressing REASONS to PRAY (praying for a wayward child is an example). The present adversity simply acts as a catalyst to bring us to the Lord.
3. Remembering the LAW of OPPOSITES, we learn that adversity is also essential for happiness to exist. We wouldn’t know JOY for what it was without PAIN to compare it to. In addition, happiness is only one of the rewards for enduring adversity in faith; GAIN is another: God “shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain."
Just some helpful thoughts for anyone going through a period of ADVERSITY. And a final quote to ponder: Your pain is the breaking of the shell which encloses your understanding. –Kahlil Gibran