“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; Perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

-Romans 5: 3-4

Your “ONE thing” might be one huge thing. Or your “ONE thing” might be a little thing….at the end of a LONG day of little things….the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Don, the Apostle Paul and Pastor Gary all had great advice Sunday for dealing with the aching heart, the nagging guilt, the overwhelming addiction, the seemingly unsurmountable problem that make up the “ONE THING” that steals your gratitude.

Accent. Celebrate. Dismiss.

But like usual – I’d like to add my two cents (for what it’s worth). These last couple of YEARS have been ONE of those things. That thing we’ve been dealing with…..in addition to those every day things…..and when I find myself having ONE of those days – where it feels like all I can accomplish is surviving to the end of the day, as I crawl into the shower and sob my heart out – It’s easy to ask the wrong questions: “Why is this happening? Why now? Why me?” I try to remind myself that there is more involved than the hurt, and the pain and the sadness. There is a greater purpose. There is hope.

In the midst of the ONE thing, I reach out to God, trying to ask different questions:

What do you want me to learn?

What do you want me to teach?

What do you want me to get out of this?

What do you want me to give as a result of this?

I find that if I look at that ONE thing from a different perspective, with different questions, I can focus on the hope instead of the pain. When I try to look at that ONE thing from God’s point of view, with his purpose in mind – it takes the pressure off me and puts the focus on Him.

“Give in to God, come to terms with him and everything will turn out just fine.”

-Job 22:21 MSG