Now, as I’ve been mulling over the song I have been thinking about definition number one, but it is the second definition I have truly enjoyed today. Allow me to rewrite the above line. What if the trials of this life are events to be thankful for because this event prevents something unpleasant that I cannot see? What if the trials and testings of this life are events to be appreciated because they provide me relief from suffering that I am oblivious to see?

Trials!  These are heavy things, right? Sometimes we have to bog down to really study ourselves through our trials. The heavy things are death, disease, loss, conviction, etc. Ever been diagnosed with something major and wondered why you were going through this? I have! It’s not fun. You want to know something that is harder to deal with for me? Having to watch someone you love deal with the changes of life and their trials and realize there is nothing you can do to help them. It’s hard when your kids make decisions for themselves that you know will hurt them. Or, what about when a friend continues to walk down a path they shouldn’t be walking? Isn’t this what trials are all about? The down and dirty hard stuff of life?

I don’t always think that is the case. Trials are testings. I don’t know about you, but I had a lot of tests in school. Some were hard and I had to study. I had to prepare to make sure I was ready. You could say I was on the alert to make sure I knew all I needed to know. Some were so easy they were just annoying because it was still a test. I look at trials that way. Some are true tests that I know are coming, but some are more like pop quizzes. You know, the things that teachers spring on you to see if you’ve been paying attention?  These are the most annoying to me. As a straight “A” student I usually did okay with the pop quizzes, but I remember one time in particular when there was a pop quiz. I had been struggling to understand the information but didn’t really know the questions to ask to help understand the information. Then came the quiz. I felt like my life fell apart in those 10 minutes because I knew the grade would be much less than perfect.

I tend to live my life like this even today. I prepare myself for the trials that will come by reading the Bible, praying and spending time with friends who will encourage me and hold me accountable. The big storms of life come and I valiantly turn to God to rest in His arms and everyone lives happily ever after. But, those stupid quizzes come and I really hate them! They turn me into an irritating person who gets frustrated and mad at myself for every incorrect answer. If I only had one more day to prepare than I would have been fine! If this had been a test I would have had time to review the study sheet!

But, the quizzes come and I feel like a failure in my own eyes. That’s when God shows me His mercy. He proves to me that this is an event of which to be grateful. It is in the moments I cannot think about my response that I show my true colors. I can prepare for tests and prepare for my response, but the quizzes of my life are what prepare me better for my tests. They allow me to know the areas I need to better focus upon (a.k.a. my weaknesses). The trials themselves are hard. We struggle to find the God we think we need to see our way through the trials and we cry out for God to save us in the midst of them. God answers with His mercy because the “quizzes of life” provides relief from suffering — the suffering of living life without Him. I thank God for His mercy!

© 2012 Susan M. Sims

Image courtesy of chrisroll at freedigitalphotos.net

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