Praising For Trials

My mother taught me to thank and praise Jesus for everything, even for trials. That was impossible for me to comprehend when I was young. I thought I could never achieve that. Especially trials that broke my heart, or ones which I had inadvertently caused myself, or somehow failed to prevent. Why should I thank God for THEM? But now I understand much better. It took living long enough to look back, and see how the road of my life made a very steady climb, even while I thought it had gone off the track so many times. Many of those tangled trails began to make sense. Then I knew that God had indeed, and still was working all things together for good. All my mistakes, all the things I never expected to happen. All the heartaches. All things. I praise Him for that.

* Glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:3b,4,5

* All things work together for good to them that love God. Romans 8:28a

* For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

I have lived under tremendous stress at times in my life. However, these years, there is very little stress in my life, for the most part. Every day, usually several times, I lift my eyes unto the sky, above the mountains, and thank God for something. I ask Him frequently for personal growth, as in patience, strength, and sometimes I ask for comfort. But more often, these years, I ask Him for comfort for someone else. In my youth, I cheerfully took it for granted that God heard my every prayer. But now that I'm older, though I still know He does, it awes me, that He cares so much for someone as weak and prone to failure as I. It is with a deeply grateful and loving heart now, that I thank Him for hearing me, and caring.