“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.”

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ 

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ 

During November, people reflect on what they are thankful for. When Daisy asked me to write this month, I began to pray that God would lead me to a super uplifting post of thanksgiving. I have to chuckle because in true God fashion, He directed me in a way that I was not going. After a few days of praying, God gently reminded me to be thankful for the difficulties. In our seasons of thankfulness, we should be thanking Him for the trials, the difficulties, the sufferings. Ouch! Those are not things we consider in our time of thanksgiving. Have you stopped to thank God for those? 

The trials are just that-trials. They are hard. They get us down. The past several weeks have been difficult for me. Yet, God says to be thankful for these times. He is working out a perfect plan that is eternal. These times are building and strengthening me to become what He wants me to be. I have to remind myself to stay focused. I have been through far greater difficulties in life than these recent weeks. During those times, my father reminded me to “not miss what God has for me in the difficulties”. When I go through hardships, I try to remember those words. You see, God’s plans are incredibly beautiful, even in the sufferings, the trials, the difficulties. When we are thankful in and for the afflictions, we are allowing God to do His beautiful work in us. 

As we consider the hard times, instead of focusing on the pain, let us focus on what God is doing through the pain. James 1:2-4 tells us that we should “count it all joy when you fall into various trials”. The reason we can count the trials as joy is because God is doing a work of perfection in us. He is wanting us to “be perfect and complete, lacking nothing”. Part of that work is accomplished through trials. During this season of thanksgiving, let’s not forget to be thankful for the hard times. God is working out a glorious masterpiece!