Making every grain of joy count

Just a quick thought... I have challenges in my daily life mainly regarding my health and I would be lying if I said I didn't want to have perfect health. I can pray for health but I don't want to focus too much on it or spend my entire life waiting for things to get better or worrying. I don't want another health issue or bad problem at all in life! But worrying doesn't help.

I realized the other day that my challenges keep me in a close relationship with God. Sure I have struggled a lot with trust. It's been hard to trust God when so many bad things have happened to me and with all things that are unfair in this world. However I am starting to come to terms with that and seeing God's love for me and realizing that God doesn't cause any of my pain. He only wants to help. If I had been completely healthy and happy my entire life, how close a relationship would I have had with God? Would I have gone lukewarm without even noticing since I would have had all things you could ask for in this world?

I read about a woman the other day, who became almost completely blind at age 15. She heard the Lord speaking to her, giving her the mission to LIVE AS IF SHE COULD SEE. She did. She also said that the Lord has told her that He can make something good from every single thing that she refuses to get bitter about. That really touched me deeply. I believe there is profound truth in that. I struggle and I will fall many times but that is really something I want to live by. Refusing to get bitter. Trusting the Lord completely. Not being constantly preoccupied with my problems but only giving them the attention that is needed in a constructive way and then spend the rest of my time doing what I am supposed to do, receiving each day, hour, minute - every moment - from the hand of the Lord, living the life He wants me to live.

Wrapping up with Matthew 6:25-34:

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.