In a list of “minor impressions,” beloved columnist/author, Joe Bayly, wrote the following for Saturday, July 28, 1962:
“Rode the merry-go-round tonight with happy David and worried Nathan, while Mary Lou looked on and waved each time we passed. Timmy kept up with us, running, for three times around”(1).
And then Joe included this familiar scripture:
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” (James 1:17–NIV, emphasis added).
Take note: everything good in this world comes from God—even a ride on a merry-go-round.
Sometimes, however, the goodness of God’s gifts isn’t immediately recognizable.
Scripture offers a number of examples, including Paul’s thorn in the flesh. The exact nature of the problem was never revealed, but we do know it was chronic and debilitating. Who would call that a good and perfect gift?
Paul did.
“At first I didn’t think of it as a gift,” he said.
Then God told him, “My grace is enough; it’s all you need.”
“Once I heard that,” Paul explained, “I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift.” (vs. 7-10, The Message).
I, for one, have never had to deal with a long-term thorn in the flesh. But difficult, shorter-term circumstances have turned into tremendous blessings. For example:
- A particularly exhausting week of teaching, family responsibilities, and other pressing matters was followed up by a weekend music retreat at church. How could I muster the energy to attend and complete a long must-do-by-Monday list? While visions of PJs and pillows danced in my head, I dragged myself to church. But through the funny and inspiring retreat leader, the uplifting music, and the invigorating camaraderie of music ministry friends, I left Friday evening highly rejuvenated, looking forward to more blessings come Saturday and Sunday.
- Our son was not accepted into his first choices of graduate schools, and we wondered what God was doing. Was Eric proceeding in the right direction? Those trying days, however, turned into lessons of trust and spiritual maturity for him, which he humbly took to heart. As for the university that did accept him? That’s where Eric met his wife.
- Into every life a few challenging people must fall, right? And with them often come discouragement, stress, and hurt. Where’s the blessing in all that? For starters, God uses such relationships to train us in turning our thoughts to the positive (Philippians 4:8), so we can experience renewal and peace. We also develop perseverance and maturity (James 1:2-4)—traits that lead to a calm and steady life anchored on Jesus.
God gives only good and perfect gifts. Sometimes they come as small but delightful surprises—like a perfect merry-go-round moment.
Sometimes they come wrapped inside trying circumstances.
But those are some of his best gifts–when negative is transformed into positive.
Because that’s downright miraculous.
* * * * * * * * * *
Have you ever received a good and perfect gift out of difficult circumstances? Tell us your story in the comments below!
*Joe Bayly, Out of My Mind: The Best of Joe Bayly, Zondervan, 1993, p. 41.
(Photo credits: http://www.wikimedia.com; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.heartlight.org.)
Revised and reblogged from February 29, 2016.
From the Inside Out 
Lovely, lovely!! And so true!!
Thank you, Diana. Praise God you found loveliness here!
So true and learned this many, many times as I have become an older woman. So very blessed by our Father God and He always knows what is best and how they have deepened my relationship with Him and my spiritual maturity. I am only full of Thanksgiving and Praise. Janet
You, Janet, provide for the rest of us a wonderful example of Spirit-inspired positivity, joy, and grace in the midst of adversity. In spite of the hardships you’ve endured, you can say, “I am only full of Thanksgiving and Praise.” Hallelujah!! Thank you for sharing your encouragement here, Janet.
My thorn in the flesh has has always been depression. It was with me even as a child although I did not recognize it as such. Usually with the Lord’s help I am able to ‘snap out of it’; but lately it has been a real challenge. The up side is that I’ve been increasing my times of devotion and am drawing closer to Him. I am currently reading ’70 Years of Miracles’ by Richard H. Harvey. Somewhere in there I read that one cannot depend upon one’s feelings to ascertain whether the Lord is working in my life or not. Faith is not a feeling. I just read the following on the internet by Debbie McDaniel (startingwithgod.com): “When I’ve been tempted to condemn myself for how I feel, it has helped me to remember that God created us in His image and that part of His image is that we are emotional beings. Feelings aren’t wrong. Even Christ had feelings. He didn’t “try not to feel.” He did not hide His emotions; instead, He took them into His relationship with His Father. He was honest, real, authentic. In the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion, Scripture tells us that Jesus was “distressed,” “deeply grieved,” “troubled,” and “in agony.” Jesus expressed how He felt and trusted the Father in the midst of His feelings.”
So I am definitely in good company, right?
Oh, indeed you are! And praise God he understands our feelings, he’s not put off by them, and does not condemn us for them (Romans 8:1). Thank you for sharing Debbie McDaniels’ wise words: “[Jesus] did not hide His emotions; instead, He took them into His relationship with His Father.” It is there in God’s presence that we can best deal with them.
inspirational and such good examples. I too have been amazed how obstacles and detours end up blessings. hard to remember when we are in the middle but in hindsight God is there!
Amen, Jean. Praise God for hindsight that grows our faith!
Hi Nancy,
Yes, going home mentally exhausted, but knowing my students, for the most part, got something from that day. We experienced the good tired from being spent in the Lord’s service. I often wonder of a job done in weakness and distress has more of the Lord and less of us in it so more hearts see Jesus and not us.
Have a blessed weekend.
Gary
If that’s true (and it very well may be!), it makes the weakness and distress worthwhile! Hope you had a satisfying and productive Monday!
I did. Just getting over a sore back.
Oh dear. I don’t like the sound of that! Having suffered back trouble myself over the years, I can sympathize. Hope each day brings improvement!