Wonders never cease

Considering how frequently I was posting for a while, I've been quite absent. Oh well, the point was not regularity, but meaningfulness. Interestingly enough, I wasn't posting (or even drawing out Spiritual Vitamins, or doing my Bible homework) because I was stressed. I've always had that problem. The times when I'm most harried and could use some comfort are the times when I forget God. But, today I drew out a vitamin, and was abruptly reminded that I'm silly. The verse is Romans 5:3-4, "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
I love this verse. So often we pray that God will just take away our suffering. But what good would that do? What would life be like without problems? Boring. Utterly boring. Now, I'm not saying that I love it when my Bioethics professor assigns an exam with 5 essay questions right before our final or when the laundry room is closed and I have no clean pants, but reading this verse reminds me that good can come out of any situation. This crazy, lonely, frustrating semester is preparing me for even more crazy, lonely, and frustrating semesters. Sometimes when I look at it that way I think, "Wow, that seems so hopeless. This is never going to end." But the verse reminds us that going through hardship builds character, which helps us be prepared for what lies ahead. And that gives me the hope that the next time everything seems overwhelming, I'll know how to deal with it better, and it won't be so bad. Hope is a difficult thing for me. I've always been the pessimist who hated hope. "What's the point?" I thought. "If your hopes come true, then it's just what you expected, and if they don't, you're disappointed." But I need to remember that hope is a gift from God. It's one of those wonderful things that he gives us to remind us that life is worth living, and to point to our life with him that will be more amazing than we can imagine right now. I'll leave you with one more thought from the Bible:
"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:12-13