Last year I took a long, unwanted break from blogging. I’d love to say we were on an all expense paid vacation to Europe… but boy would I be wrong!

I have not covered all events that happened to us in the last year because I didn’t know where to start.

Life. Has. Been. Hectic.

Period…end of story.

The last year has been a roller coaster of emotions, trial after trial, tribulation after tribulation. Just when we felt like things had calmed back down….BAM something else would happen.

It was always something. We could NOT catch a break. My husband was hospitalized twice in three months with two immediate and unexpected surgeries, my daughter and I (she was one at the time) managed to walk away from a car accident that we shouldn’t have survived, my husband was let go at his job, we lost our home, and was at rock bottom financially. Sadly these things were just a few of the things we endured. There was soooo much more.

We lost everything we had.

It has been sooo easy to get discouraged. It has been sooo easy to throw the towel in (which we really wanted to a few times). It would have been super easy to just break down and give up.

Guess what? We didn’t! Being a Christian is hard at times. No one said it’d be easy. No one said it’d be all rainbows and butterflies. If they did….then they flat-out lied.

Being a Christian at times is the exact opposite. The more you do for the Lord the harder the Devil will fight you and your work. You will be on cloud nine doing what you feel God has called you to do. Then the next thing you know your world is falling apart around you. You begin to find barriers everywhere you look. The list goes on and on.

However, sometimes its not the Devil throwing curveballs your way. Sometimes it’s God seeing what you’re made of. Seeing how serious you are about Him and His word. Seeing if you can withstand under pressure.

In the Bible, James 1:2‭-‬5 tells us, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” NKJV

As the scripture states, trials and tribulations are true tests of our faith. They are our “make it or break it” moments in our Christian walk. Suzy Homemaker can share spiritual posts on Facebook all she wants but her true colors will come out when she’s tested.

When tests come your way do you sit and cry or do you face them with the whole armor of God on? If I’m being honest with you…I have done both. I have had panic attacks, crying fits, and bouts of anger plenty of times. Did it help my situation? Absolutely not. I have found that when I enter a stressful situation it is easier if I stop, pray and regroup.

Believe me it’d be easy to just give up when things get hard but then where would you be? You’d be far off worse than when you began. In the four years my husband and I have been married we have been through soooo much together. We lean on each other but most importantly we try to rely on God more. At times my anxiety gets in the way and clouds my mind. But in the end I know the answer. I know who is the way maker. I know who we need to turn to.

God!

“Chain Breaker” by Zach Williams says it best,

“We’ve all search for the light of day in the dead of night
We’ve all found ourselves worn out from the same old fight
We’ve all run to things we know just ain’t right
And there’s a better life
There’s a better life

If you’ve got pain
He’s a pain taker

If you feel lost
He’s a way maker
If you need freedom or saving
He’s a prison-shaking Savior
If you’ve got chains
He’s a chain breaker”

As James 1:2‭-‬5 stated…”But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

The good and faithful servants who withstand the trials and tribulations are going to be blessed. They will not need anything and have everything. Let God do his work while you do yours.

When you’re stressed don’t give up. Don’t get discouraged. You need to do two things:

– bow your head and pray

– look up to God for answers

In the end the trials we thought that were going to finally do us in….make us stronger than ever.

How do you handle trials and tribulations? Do you let them make or break you?

Kirstie