From Charlie Gray

If you want to make it through life in this world, you better achieve some level of proficiency in finding some good in all the bad. You better establish a solid foundation of optimism. That’s gonna be your only hope. Some folks reach a higher level than others. As a result, some suffer more than others. Some fold and bend under the pressure. Others seem to persevere.

My faith provides my deepest and most effective refuge. Through all the pain, loss, disappointment and grief, I lean on my belief that all that bad stuff is a part of the plan that God has for my life. I had the privilege of leading a worship service last week in an elderly care home. My audience had a bounty of issues to otherwise carry them deep into hopelessness and depression. It became obvious by the end of my visit that these folks had found their refuge, like myself, in their faith. What a testament provided to me for the power of true and divine faith.

I suggest the difference in our ability to cope with the valleys in life lies in the source of our refuge. Where do we reach for comfort? What are the places we visit for happiness? Who do we lean on in times of trouble? Find your answer before you encounter the question.