What do you do when things don’t turn out the way you wished they would?

When people you love are suffering.

When you’re holding your breath for a miracle, but the miracle doesn’t come.

What do you do with that?

The Bible says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Rom. 12:12).

Joyful in hope. Sometimes, there isn’t much hope that things will get better this side of heaven. But I wonder whether God gives us trials to help us lift our gaze beyond this life and focus on the glory that is to come? There’s joy in knowing that no matter what we face, this too shall pass.

Patient in affliction. The Greek word for patient means “to stay behind, to await, to endure.” And isn’t that what we’re doing? Until we’re called into eternal glory, we stay behind. We wait. We endure.

Faithful in prayer. That sweet communion with Jesus reminds us that we’re not alone. He’s walking with us, leading us, strengthening us.

He’s holding us.

Through fire and flood, heartache and pain.

Until we reach the other side.