Posted in Spiritual Life

There are so many times in my life when I have needed the sustaining grace that only God can give.  The trials I have endured may not have been as bad as some have experienced, but several of life's difficulties have been quite--well, difficult.  In the midst of the worst of those trials, I have felt the Lord's presence in my life in a way that gave me the strength to make it through.  At times, the harder the trial, the more I was able to lean on and trust in God to bring me through it.  His light shone even brighter in the darkest hours.

Of course, life doesn't always consist of major catastrophes.  There are plenty of times when we all experience those minor inconveniences (like leaking showers which cause water damage, resulting in a major bathroom renovation).  It seems that at those times, it is harder to trust the Lord's sovereignty than in the darkest storms of life.  It is in the little trials that I find myself most tempted to try and fix things on my own.  When facing a trial too big to deal with all alone, we are forced to rely on Someone stronger and wiser than us.  But when coming upon a seemingly insignificant difficulty, a "bump in the road" if you will, it is so much easier to assume that we must handle it on our own.  Wouldn't we save ourselves so much grief and aggravation if we gave all of life into God's hands, trusting Him with every aspect, even the things that may seem small and unimportant to us?  He is sovereign, and He allows even the "little" trials in our lives to refine us and to draw us closer to Him.

Enduring a major bathroom remodel (as a result of water damage from a leaky shower) while in the midst of morning sickness and the exhaustion of early pregnancy is so small compared to what so many other people live through every day of their lives.  And yet, God cares when a sparrow falls from the sky.  He gives strength for the stickiness of day-to-day living, as well as the weariness and pain of large, looming, insurmountable challenges.  He is loving, kind, and good, and He desires to give His best to His children, if we would but only look to Him at all times.

Maybe that's one of the hardest things in life to do--it takes humility and trust and a willingness to yield everything to Him.  But there's no one better to yield everything to.  His grace is sufficient even for the "little" things.