I am certain that we all have had rough spots along our various paths of life. We can look at them teary-eyed, with disappointment and despair. Or we can choose to be positive, using them as growing experiences. Maybe you skidded off a slippery, lonely country road after dark when the temperature was going to drop to 17 degrees below zero.
Yes, that happened to me, and I had my eight-month old schnauzer with me. When that happened, I didn’t carry a cell phone. I didn’t want one, and I figured life was good without one (God orchestrated events to drag me out of the dark ages to become part of the 21st century, but that is another story).
Light snow was falling when my front right tire caught the lip at the edge of the pavement. My car spun around in a few circles, landing in a shallow ditch with a huge snow drift. Trying to back out was hopeless. A farm house was nearby, but opening the car door and climbing through the snow was impossible.
Still, I had blessings. When I was spinning, I could have hit the nearby telephone pole. Or down the road a quarter mile, and I could have landed upside down in the river. I, without doubt, had God’s hand over me in the bitterly cold night air.
In a quandary about what to do, God blessed me with a generous soul who phoned for a tow truck. He left to get out of the cold as soon as the towing company was on its way.
Fortunately, it is my habit to travel in the winter with quilts. By the time the tow truck driver arrived 15 or so minutes later, the battery was fading quickly, and we had to snuggle to stay warm—a little pup doesn’t offer much body heat though.
The tow truck driver pulled us out of the ditch with ease. He charged the battery and stayed with us while its life revived (the car started fine the next morning despite the cold). After that, we arrived home without further event.
I realize that this event was considerably less daunting than the heartbreaks some people endure. I have learned that no matter how difficult the circumstances, someone else always has it worse. Nevertheless, God allows different testing events for each of us because we are all at different places along the pathway that leads to His throne.
What the Bible Has to Say about Trial
The apostle James had something to say about the various trials we have in life and why we have them. We find his thoughts in the first chapter of his writing:
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
— James 1:2–4
James’ comments are just one place in the Bible where we learn that we have challenges in life to refine our characters. While never easy, they always have purpose.
One November evening after a particularly stormy day, the sun came out and lit the twilight sky. We can expect beauty when the tempests of life come to end.
E. G. White also had something to say about the rough stuff in life that cultivates our characters. The quote is found in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, page 214. A while back I made a little video, illustrating it with my photography. Enjoy the illustrations. Take to heart the words.