Tests...of Joy???

Tests…of Joy?
Written Sunday night, September 28th

This morning we read a chapter together in a book that was given to us. It was about "tests" that God gives to us. It was well written with many good reminders. I was reflecting on it while I was doing some cleaning today, when all of a sudden the words found in the book of James rolled through my head. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds..."
Now I don’t have a problem with calling what we have been through a trial – a test of sorts. In fact, we had started a class in August called “The Testing of Your Faith” and we were learning how God brings tests, personally designed for us, to grow our faith. So here we are…a time of pain, uncertainty, challenges and full of inconveniences…and I trust God in this test. He knows where, and when, and for how long to allow the trial, to accomplish what is needed in us. I have been steadfast in trusting Him. I've had resolute faith, determined faith, never-give-up faith, but not joyful faith. I have faced this trial with the same endurance one puts on when hearing, “this is a test, it is only a test…” – and then you sit through the long, high-pitched signal, knowing it is going to end, but not before you get extremely annoyed by it. But today, I remembered the call to consider it pure joy…I haven’t been considering this experience with joy.
I was sweeping down cobwebs and dusting as I pondered what it means to “consider something that is difficult with joy”. I usually do not welcome things that are irritating or annoying with joy – I certainly do not readily receive painful things with joy. Just like the cobwebs I was busy sweeping away, irritating things make me impatient and angry. I get so tired of dusting…cleaning and re-cleaning. As I spied evidence of another spider at work, I asked myself, how can I consider difficulties, like cobwebs, with joy? And immediately I had my answer – by being thankful I have a house where I can sweep away cobwebs!
It all depends on my focus. When I focus on the webs and the dust and the dirt, I get irritated and annoyed, and question the good purpose of spiders. But when I focus on my blessings, including a house, large enough for 4 adults and a dog, with furniture, I can sweep away cobwebs with joy in my heart and consider them insignificant compared to a roof overhead. In fact, I finished my work singing!
We have a long ways to go through this current test, and I’m tempted to worry about what is ahead. So far I like how this test is turning out…Robert is well on the road to recovery. But we don’t know what is coming next in regards to his health – he has to get through some hurdles ahead. And unfortunately we do know what is coming next in regards to our finances…the bills will start arriving shortly, providing us with yet another difficult part of this “test”. When I focus on the pain and the inconvenience and the uncertainty, I can lose patience and get irritated and annoyed. But when I focus on LIFE and RELATIONSHIP and realize our God has already answered MANY, MANY prayers, I can “sweep” away the irritations and annoyances and impatience and relax in joy.
I looked up the words of James in The Message, where it uses different words to say the same thing: “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.” That means to think of this time, this pancreatitis episode, as a gift, because God has a purpose in it…receive it as joyfully as one receives a precious gift, given at the precise time, with the right intensity, and, yes, even with the right amount of pain, to accomplish exactly what God has in mind.
I used to not comprehend receiving pain as a “gift” from my God…but after years of watching Him work, I've come to understand it quite well. And my heart sings and rejoices as I recognize my God, my heavenly Father, busy at work in my life, in Robert’s life, in the lives of others, ONLY because in His eyes we are of Great Worth. He will use the trial for our good and for His glory. And that brings me Joy!

James 2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (as translated in The Message)

~Jeanette