Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:2-6 NLT)
 
In early 2016, I saved an article by Veneetha Rendall Risner entitled “When the Detour Becomes Your New Road.” In it, Risner talks about Laura, whose husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Laura begged God to heal her husband and restore their lives to the way they were. And her sister insightfully responded, “You know, Laura, I think the detour you are on is actually the road.”
 
What a horrifying thought!
 
When my plans go awry, I always want to believe that I have taken a temporary detour. Maybe it’s a long one, but I hope that the real road, the road where I can return to being happy and fulfilled, is just ahead. Maybe it’s only around the corner, if I can simply hang on.
 
Risner said she understands Laura’s questions because she has asked them herself.
 
“Should I earnestly ask God to change my circumstances? Should I draw near to Him in prayer, write down my requests, and regularly seek Him for the things in my life that I want to see changed? Do I hold loosely to the expectation of changed circumstances and cling tighter to the hope that will never disappoint-the hope that is rooted in Jesus?
 
God invites me to ask Him to change the things that I long to be different. To persevere. To trust that my prayers make a difference.
 
But at the same time, God bids me to accept where I am. To let Him meet me in the darkness. To find comfort in His presence. To see Him as more important than any change in my circumstances.
 
God calls me to do both. Every day. On every road.
 
The old road often seems like it was more relaxing and easier to drive. The new road can be bumpy and twisty, narrow with sharp curves. And I find myself longing for the ease of what I used to have.
 
But the new road has its benefits too, perhaps not in ease but in seeing life differently. More reflectively. Really noticing reality rather than rushing forward, oblivious to my surroundings.
 
This new road that I am on, bumpy and twisty as it may be, is the path that God has chosen for me. It is the best road. The only one worth taking.
 
If I keep looking back on the old way longingly, focusing on what I’ve lost rather than on what I have, I will miss the rewards of the new path.”
 
I saved this article at the beginning of a new year because I desperately wanted a new beginning…a chance to erase the previous year.
 
In the fall of 2014, our son fell ill. Very ill. And he’s still not well. It’s been difficult, and has included numerous hospitalizations, many unknowns, and my leaving my job so I could take him to and from doctor appointments.
 
I have done a lot of praying and reflecting on the last five years, and wondering if I have considered this road as “joy.” The word “consider” used in these first few verses of James (or “count,” in some versions) is translated from the Greek word, “hegesasthe.” Hegesasthe is an accounting term. An action word meaning to prioritize. The way James used it in the verses above, it can be interpreted as asking to categorize these hardships as deposits, not withdrawals, in our lives. To consider these times as a whole, and not in the short term with regard to our lives.
 
Where will this difficult time lead? What can I see and learn along the way? Who can I meet and hear their story, and how does God want to use me in it?
 
These times reveal who we really are and who we really rely on. They can be harsh, overwhelming, and discouraging if we don’t view our circumstances through Him. But, they can also deepen our trust and faith in Him in a way that is only possible through suffering.