Discovering the Beauty in Hardship

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If your life is hunky dory, and you are prancing through your house this morning with a danish in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other without a care in the world... 

 First, let me tell you that there are a number of us out here in the world who are not morning people, and so if you must prance... do it quietly. 

 Second, if this is you, then I need to say that today's Daily Devo might not apply to you at this particular moment.  BUT it most assuredly will apply to you at some point. 

 You see, today I'm speaking to all those who are going through a valley of sorts... those who are struggling to put one foot in front of the other... those who are feeling like the weight of the world is pressing down on them.

 I'm speaking to all those who are experiencing a difficult season, marked by grief, loss, confusion, pain, suffering, doubt, fear, depression...  you know who you are. 

 Because this is all of us.  None of us get through this thing called life without a nick or two on our chassis.  And most of us have some full-on damage to show for our pains. 

 I've been beating this drum off and on for a bit now, but it's worth repeating: God doesn't waste anything, even our pain. 

 God may not cause the broken things in our lives, but God definitely causes all the broken things to be renewed, restored and resurrected if need be. 

 And it's in those challenging moments that we grow the most, learn the most, and if we are wise... we surrender the most.  Maria Goff puts this so beautifully: 
It's as if [God] reminds each of us in our most difficult circumstances that the most beautiful waterfalls only happen in the steepest places in our lives. 
Though it may be difficult, do your best today and every day to see the beauty in your struggle.  Look for signs of wonder in the middle of your season of hardship.  Let yourself be shaped and molded, and made new. 

 And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen. 

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