One of my favorite passages has always been the beginning of James (well, I love the book of James, but especially James 1). About ten years ago, I lost a couple friends who were very dear to me. I went on my first summer-long mission trip and a couple weeks after I got back we received a phone call that changed my life as I knew it. These two dear friends of our family were in a fatal plane crash. I thought my world was going to crumble before my eyes. Soon after this, my mom started going through and memorizing the book of James with me. "Consider it pure joy..." 'Yeah right!' I remember thinking. But we pressed on, "...when you face trials of many kinds. Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. And perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." After some time, those verses started to really sink in. Within weeks of the accident, a friend of mine lost her sister to a car accident. I still wouldn't have "considered it joy", but I suddenly saw a reason why God was putting me through this trial. The trials that I was going through gave me the empathy and understanding to know how to help my friend through her trials. Looking back, I can see God's hand in this more than anything. Of course, I miss Craig and Jessie a lot! But throughout the years, God has been developing something in me that I would never trade for anything. Maybe it's perseverance, maybe even maturity. But I'm thankful for the times throughout the years where God has chosen to put me through these trials, so that I can learn to be more and more like Him.
