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II Corinthians 4: 17
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that
far outweighs them all. (NIV)
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We never know in advance exactly how suffering can be transformed into a cause for celebration.* |
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I will always remember a certain trail in Theodore Roosevelt
National Park in North Dakota. It was rugged
terrain, and recent rains had left all the little ravines full of boot-sucking
mud. I had new, expensive custom orthotics in my hiking shoes and I
was frantic in my efforts to keep them from getting wet. We thought we were on a loop trail and that it would all be over soon - until we came to a sign announcing that we had reached the
end of the trail. I did not react well to the news that I was going to have to go back the way I came. When we finally reached level ground, I started booking it, so relieved was I to be able to
just walk rather than scramble and slog. Yes, but level ground had also been
subjected to rain, and a bare spot turned out to be slicker than ice. My feet
went out from under me and I landed hard. This made me so angry that I threw my
walking stick and said a bad word, shocking my husband (and myself).
It took a few moments before I was able to get up, collect my stick, and set out again. . . And then we came upon this guy:
 Now that trail was not exactly the Valley of the Shadow of
Death, and our close encounter with nature may not have been such a thrill
for anyone else; but our hikes were all about experiences like this. This one made it all worthwhile. If only I had known - before I had my little tantrum!
If I could turn back time . . . I wouldn’t. Because all
those light and momentary troubles in life are just a part of the trail that I
have to navigate before I reach the good stuff. And the good stuff on earth
cannot compare to the eternal glory that lies ahead. Just watch your step!
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He views your life the way you view a movie after you’ve read the book. . . . He’s not only read your story . . . he wrote it. His perspective is different, and his purpose is clear.* |
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