Blessed Tribulations

My friend, Linda, was telling me about her experience in Haiti.  Her daughter is working in a sort of Partners in Discipleship, and she went to visit her.  Linda brought down some greeting cards her friends had made, with some money inside each one.  But when she was in Miami, an airline employee said the baggage compartments were full and she had to put her bag in the luggage compartment.

When she picked up the bag in Haiti, all the cards and money were gone.

She felt terrible.  She felt like a poor steward.  The rest of the trip was hard, also.  Haiti was apocalyptic hot.  Everyone sweated all day, even native Haitians.  The dirt from the ground just stuck to your skin.

Linda had the kids make t-shirts, or toys.  She was trying to have them create useful items.  She rode around in a small car for four, but they always carried at least six in it.  She worked hard.

Now that she's home, she still hasn't adjusted.  They have so little, and we have so much.  Linda likens our self-complacency to spiritual stagnation.  The Haitians turn it around.  They physically have little, but a lot of faith.  The Haitians are happy.

Trials can be a blessing in the life of prayer because they lead us to prayer.  It is when we need God that our prayer life awakens.