If there is one skill God wants me to learn, it is the skill of being able to find joy out of life’s varied situations. It is true that life often presents to us things that frustrate us, irritate us and trouble us. But life also presents us things to be happy about and to be really grateful for.
We need only to find these things, separate them from the dross, and focus our hearts upon the treasures we can find. If you are to stand infront of a crowd who starts throwing both stones and jewels at you, will you not try to evade the stones and then try catching as many jewels as you can? Will you weep because of the stones, or will you rejoice for the jewels that you find?
Surely, I believe the time shall come, when joy stands so firm in our hearts that we can even turn the stones coming our way into sapphires and emeralds, into diamonds and pearls, into treasures beyond any measure or price!
The thing about hope is that it’s a positive force that shines the most when it’s dark. When everything’s going well, we hardly notice it’s there. But when things go against us, when our dreams fade and when we see no immediate reprieve from our troubles, that’s when hope does its best work for us.
"Where Hope Can Be Found"