Have you ever traveled along, cruising along a smooth road, only to be jarred suddenly by a dip, hole or speed bump in the road. When that happens to me, my bones rattle as I am hit by the surprise. It takes me quite a while to recover.
Life is just like that sometimes. Everything can be going smoothly for a while and then , BOOM a pandemic interrupts life. Or, BOOM, we are overtaken by a sudden illness. Or, BOOM, the economy takes a sudden down turn and our job is threatened. Any number of things can disrupt our lives and shake us up. It may well take us a while to recover.
For those of us who believe in Jesus, many of those disruptions are called trials. They come to test our faith, so that we know where we stand and where we need to find strengthening. James 1:2-5 says, “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
Reluctant Retiree 