Ironies.

I want to be loving, without being exposed to unloving people.

I want to be joyful, without conflicts that might diminish my joy.

I want to be peaceful, with no storms to measure my current level of calm.

I want patience, with no opportunities to practice it.

I want to be the bringer of good things to a world that has no evil.

I want gentleness with perfectly behaved children.

I want self-control in a world that has no sugar. Or garlic bread. Or Italian food.

Isn’t it funny, that the very things that threaten our soul’s well-being also have the ability to bring out our shine?

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.

So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

Thanks James, I’ll try to remember that the next time life delivers a box of lemons to my doorstep.