From suffering to joy :)

Trust me when I say that I know what suffering is. Every one of us has faced suffering is some form. Sickness, death, rejection, hurt...however the suffering comes it is hard to bear. I would not have been able to endure without the comfort of my heavenly Father. If difficult suffering has not plagued you, your time will come. That is the life on this earth. I look at where I am today and am so blown away by God's hand in every part of the suffering. He has brought me to a place of wonder and amazement at his power. When my girls were little I use to hold their hands and ask them "how big is _____" then say, lifting their arms way up in the air say "soooo big." Our heavenly Father is like that. Sometimes I think he'd like to say that to us, then remind us of his infinite power.

James 5 "Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverence and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

We are not forgotten. Patience during difficult times seems so hard to grab hold of sometimes. But not with Christ. It is in his power that you can persevere. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you - to fill you so full with his presence. Note the end of the verse that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Hold on to those promises. They are truth. When Satan comes at you with thoughts other than these, counter them with this truth. Those of us who know the story of Job know of his suffering. Suffering that most of us cannot even begin to imagine bearing. We get to the end of the story and look to Job as a kind of hero. A man of awesome faith. Remember that you have this same power within you to stand firm under suffering. Cry out to him, speak out loud to him, sing praise to him. He loves you so much. And on the other side is glorious joy.