On sleep and Joy and figuring it all out

Trials really do tend to just fall into our laps sometimes. It could be an extreme example, like a death or illness of a someone close, or it could be a more minor example, like losing a little sleep. The latter is a "trial" we've been facing around here these days. And there's been a lot of crying.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds..." ~James 1:2

Count it all joy. I've always thought this verse was a bit hard to swallow. I want to be joyful all the time. But really? To consider a trial joy? Aren't we just supposed to wade through the trials, in survival mode, until they blow over and we can get to the other side? Aren't we supposed to seek comfort when we're down, in any form that it comes. Seek something that will ease the pain, or at least distract us for a while? That's what I often try to do.

Tom & I were just talking the other day about how it's funny that even in our small-by-comparison trial of the moment, we try to figure it out. We ask why. Why is God allowing us to go through this sleep-deprived time that seems to have no end (really we know it does)? What is he trying to teach us? We scour every possible solution and try to just figure it out. The default questions for any of the hard stuff in life. Why is this happening? And how can can I fix it?

Maybe figuring it out is not what God intends for us to do. His ways are too much for us to wrap our human minds around. He is totally beyond our comprehension. He is that big.

That basic temptation that Eve gave in to in the Garden, of gaining the "knowledge of good and evil," is what leads to this perpetual seeking of the "whys" to all things. This world believes that knowledge is power. Knowledge is the ultimate thing to gain. But what if it's not. What if unwavering faith is actually the most powerful thing. Faith that believes that God is God and He is always working all things together for our good and His glory. All things. Always. And we don't even have to figure out what "for our good" means, because He will bring it. He will teach us. We just have to open ourselves up to believe and then receive.

Whatever trial we are undergoing at any given time, mastering it might not be the goal. Willfully choosing to gain the Joy that God intends through the trial, while trusting Him to be at work. Maybe that's the goal. Ultimately it's about faith. Surrender. To a perfect God. At work in our imperfect world. For our good. His glory. Amen.