“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” –Romans 8:28

When I was a little girl we would go to the beach every summer. I loved to go to the candy store and watch as they made saltwater taffy. I was mesmerized by the stretching of the taffy and the way it was pulled up just as it looked like it was going to sag and touch the counter.

There have been times in my adult life when I have been stretched so far that I felt sure I was going to hit bottom. I have felt pulled, tugged, yanked and stretched beyond what I thought I could bear.

Like the time I was told in my first teaching position that I wasn’t going to get a contract the following year if I did not make huge strides, only to be told later by my boss that she was afraid I would burn out from working so hard to improve.

Or when my doctor sent me for a mammogram because something wasn’t quite right.

Or when I sat in the exam room at the hospital as a team of doctors and medical students examined my daughter to determine if she had a rare, potentially life threatening disease.

The beauty of following Christ is the knowledge that we are not alone when we face challenges that appear beyond all hope. Paul tells us in Romans that God works out all things for the good of those who love Him.

All things.

Not a few things.

Not most things.

All things.

A limitless God who makes a limitless promise. A promise He does not qualify, quantify or justify.

Does this mean we will get exactly what we want, how we want it, when we want it? No.

Does this mean that as believers we will not face adversity and tragedy? No.

It does mean though that God knows what is best for us, He is there for us, and He constantly works in our lives. Adversity is never something we desire, but it stretches us and grows us until we are more Christ like and others can see the beautiful reflection of our Savior.

Nothing is more moving than the person who praises God in the midst of a mighty personal storm.

I am in awe of my husband. He lost a brother and a sister at a young age, and still he has faith. Brian knows real loss. He knows loss that we would call unfair. I marvel at the way he has been able to experience pure joy since that loss.

Brian told me that he had two choices. He could focus on the loss or he could focus on the time God gave him with his brother and sister. He chose the latter. He chose to thank God for who they were, what they meant to him, and the time God gave him with them.

He misses his siblings and knows he will see them again. Knowing this though does not fill the void caused by their absence. It was God who filled it, and gave Brian freedom from a lifetime of grief.

God promises us a season of rest. If you are in the wilderness, wondering if you are going to be stretched beyond what you can bear, remember that just like the taffy, you will not be stretched beyond your limit. Trust that God can bring blessing out of every circumstance in your life.