As human beings, we go through many struggles in our lives. Acts 14:22 says "Strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of the God." Many of us go through these tribulations feeling sorry for ourselves and wondering why it couldn't have happened to "happy-go-lucky Joe" down the street. Anybody but me!
God teaches us that we can be longsuffering and come through our trials as stronger people than we were when the problems began. Read Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness." Look at what Christ suffered for us! Why can't we endure, for just a short period of time, troubles for him? In 1 Timothy 1:16, Paul states "However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life."
We all can safely say that no matter how bad our tribulations are, Jesus' tribulations were much worse, and He suffered a lot more than we ever will. The biggest tribulation I have encountered during my 16 years on this earth was caring for my grandparents. When everything was going badly for my family and for me, I would start feeling sorry for myself. And also wondering when it would all end. But now that I look back on it all, I see it as a blessing that I had the opportunity to take care of them. Because of that, I have matured and learned life-long lessons.
Yes, it was extremely hard at the time, and even harder to appreciate, but I would always remember Jesus and the suffering he went through; and somehow, I realized it could be much worse! One of my favorite Bible verses is 1 Corinthians 10:13. "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
This verse is my escape route when things get tough for me. When my grandparents were really ill, and it was a hard day of taking care of them, I would read this verse over and over again to myself during the day. It kept me going. I have never regretted taking care of my grandparents, because I believe it made me a stronger person spiritually. We all need to support each other, especially during our bad times. I know, from personal experiences, that I would not be where I am today if it were not for my brothers and sisters in Christ. When times get tough, just remember what Christ did for us. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." {John 3:16,17}
How refreshing it is to see a young person go through a terrible ordeal that many older people today would never put themselves through, and then to say they are glad for the experience. I remember watching Jeff, Sandy, Angel, Ashley, and Andrea taking care of Jeff's mom and dad before they passed away. I had the privilege of speaking at his father's funeral. I will always remember the way this family endured this difficult situation. Many times, it caused them much stress, but they endured. It took their time away from the things young people usually do. What a lesson it taught the rest of us. One thing is for sure. No parents have had more love shown toward them. Not only did they teach their children an important lesson of life, but the rest of us also learned. May God help all of us, when we have difficult situations to deal with, to remember wherein our strength lies. "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." {Philippians 4:13} Thank you Ashley and Andrea for living that truth right before our eyes! (KG)