Blessed by Adversity

   Each night when I go to bed I try to take a few minutes to look back over the day with my Lord.  I look for the blessings I have received throughout the day and for the places where I may have fallen prey to Satan’s temptations.  Sometimes it may be no more than just, “Thank you Lord for the blessings of this day and please forgive me for the times I’ve failed you.”  But I believe that it is important to be aware of both how I’ve been blessed and how I’ve failed each day.

   Last night while reviewing the day it occurred to me that not only do blessings come in the good we receive they also come to us in adversity.  That might not seem logical but I believe that we are blessed in the adversities we experience.  They may not be what we normally expect or look for when counting our blessings but sometimes they truly are.

   Without ever having been ill or injured I may not recognize the blessing of good health.  Without some failure in my life how would I realize the blessings of success brought about through hard work and prayer?  If I had never sinned and sought forgiveness would my understanding of the incredible forgiveness and mercy of our Lord be as real?

   At a seminar I attended the presenter entered the room in a wheel-chair with one leg elevated.  As she began her talk she told us that she had prayed that God would teach her patience.  While she would have chosen a different teaching method, her broken leg certainly taught her to have patience.  God answered her prayer, just not quite as she would have preferred.  Yet through her misfortune God blessed her with more patience.

   When looking for God’s blessings in your life keep in mind that even in adversity God has truly blessed you in so many ways.