"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
Romans 5:1-5
I like the idea of all of these things being interconnected, and really what this makes me think is that just like faith, tribulation, and hope, even tragedy and blessing are intertwined. The missed plane tragedy for one person is a blessing of being able to move to a new seat, or to make a plane for someone else. The blessing of a new home for us might have been a tragedy of losing a job and not being able to afford a home for someone else... the whole world is a tapestry of bad and good shuttling back and forth, and "all things work together for good" (Romans 8:28) in the end. ... Yes, even the bad things, because they are part of God's creation, and his plan. Anything that doesn't get solved in what we can see of God's design will be solved before the entire pattern is revealed. Yes, death and pain exist, but Christ triumphed over them, and they can never win.
Today, let's remember that tribulation and faith are part of each other, and that God's pattern is a mixture of good and bad for a reason. If we stick with God, everything will work out for good in the end. Let's "rejoice in hope" and in everything good that God has in store, even if we have to go through some tribulation to get there.
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