Joy in the trials

There are a few verses that have been resonating deeply with me over the last few years.

I like things done in MY time, on MY schedule, in MY way.
Things were moving quickly.... we had a steady pace... but then...

Petro Caribe crisis with widespread Civil Unrest
Fuel shortages
Election failures
Police strike
COVID shutdowns
Closed borders
Souring inflation
Level 4 Travel Advisory
Sudden drop in value of the US Dollar to the Haitian Gourde
Assasination of President Jovenel Moïse
Devestating Magnitude 7.2 earthquake
Tropical Storm

The list can feel daunting and overwhelming.
The task can feel impossible.

But God.

He reminds me. This is HIS clinic for HIS people on HIS schedule and in HIS PERFECT TIMING.

He reminds me that these trials and delays are producing opportunities and fruits we didn't even know we were growing. Relationships. Strength. Creativity. Longevity. Persistence. Determination. Presence.

There is value in the waiting.
There is growth in the waiting.
There are seeds being planted.
There is a harvest being readied.

Keep going.
Keep working.
Eyes on Jesus.
Faith in HIM alone.

The striving. The tears. The pursuing. The wait..... it is not futile nor wasted and it is not without purpose.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4 (NIV)

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].
1 Corinthians 15:58 (AMP)