I was first inspired during Sunday’s sermon as I was writing in pen and made a mistake. In today’s wild technology, there are such things as erasable pens (because I had them when I was in school over a decade ago), but I do not use these present day. What do I do when I make a mistake in pen?

I either scrap the whole piece of paper like a tree killer (please don’t hunt me down, I try really hard to recycle!) or I mark out my mistake and keep on going.

“Jesus always fulfills His promises, just not always the way you expect.”

This is what I was trying to write down in my journal and how I messed up isn’t important here, though when we mess up somewhere – which is often in this life – what we do with that mistake matters more than the mistake itself.

Even though our pastor gave us three points, I’m not sharing those with you today (though if you want to read and digest the scripture, we went back to Acts [of Paul’s conversion and imprisonment} and talked about 2 Timothy 4:6-8). Instead, I am sharing with you a very short phrase on facing challenges.

“Don’t run after trials but embrace them.” – Pastor Jacob (or someone else before him, LOL)

I’d also like to add, for my benefit and maybe yours, that let’s not run after trials just for the sake of having something added to our testimony, but let’s not run away from them either.

I’ll be the first to admit that I just don’t like going through things if I can avoid it. My current trials have been thrown at me from left field, and I can’t just run away from them, but I’m also having a hard time embracing them. I’m forced to face them and they’re keeping my stomach in knots.

Trials can shake our security when we’ve maybe subconsciously put it into something other than God Himself – the provider and protector of our souls.

If you’re like me today, I just want to encourage you in a couple of ways (and no these are not the three points! lol).

What you’re going through has a purpose, even when we can’t see it in the moment: for your GOOD and His GLORY.

Every sacrifice here on this earth is an eternal investment in heaven.

Lord, how can I, today, embrace my situation and what will you reveal to me in this trial?