What is adversity in the first place? Here is the definition of the word: a condition marked by misfortune, calamity, or distress; an unfortunate event or circumstance.
Here are some synonyms to the word adversity: catastrophe, disaster, trouble, misery
So adversity is not something most people want in their lives.
Is my family currently facing adversity? Absolutely. But the amazing thing is I welcome the adversity. In the last several weeks I have learned a lot about suffering. When I was first fearing the worst with Kaylee's pale appearance, I would tearfully pray that God not let her be seriously ill. In my opinion, our family had been through enough over the last several years. All our trouble trying to move to Spain unsuccessfully. Being separated from Ryan for many, many months. Our struggles to add to our family...it seemed, at the time, that our list of struggles was already pretty long. I honestly felt that our family deserved a break from trouble. But wow, God has really been working on my heart and teaching me so many things in so many different ways in the last couple of months. I just want to give you a little insight as to what I have learned.
In a nutshell, we're all going to have trouble in our lives. What really matters is how we react to it and how we come out of it in the end. I could be bitter and shake my fists at God saying, "Why are you letting all this awful stuff happen to our family!" But instead, I choose to say, "Dear Lord, please show me your will and give me the strength to get through this. Help me to learn the most that I can from this situation and let it bring me even closer to you."
If you really think about it, when you do call out to God the most? Is it when things are going great in your life and you don't have a care in the world? Or do you find yourself praying more and conversing more and reading your Bible more when you are going through a tough time. Also, can you relate more to people who seem to have an easy life with nothing ever going wrong? Or do you find a kinship with others who are also facing difficult times. When we are going through a painful situation, people are more likely to notice how we react to it. A time of trial is a great opportunity to witness to others!
Think about the apostle Paul. He wrote many of the books in the New Testament from dire conditions. Most of the time they were from prison. And think about how he started out. He was one of the most intense and effective persecutors of the new church. But God chose him to be the one to teach us all how to live like Christ! Here he speaks about a 'thorn' which scholars have never been able to figure out what he specifically meant by that, but it is some kind of affliction.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NLT)
7....So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. 8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
That is the attitude I am attempting to emulate. One of awe, humbleness, and openness to what God is trying to teach me. I am giving Him the control and casting all my fears and worries on Him.
I have much more to write on the subject, especially since I just finished a book by Dr. Charles Stanley titled When Our Children Hurt. But I am going to end with this tonight:
Why do I find pleasure in the adversity my family is facing? Because God is trying to draw us closer to Him. He is trying to refine us; to make us more like Christ. He wants to use us to draw others closer to Him.
1 Peter 1:7 (NLT)
7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
