We call ourselves blessed when we have money, fame, success. But when we can hold on in trials we are blessed, too. The trial itself is the blessing, in a way: it gives us the chance to show ourselves how strong we truly are. When we persevere, we have proof that we can face adversity and win. We are blessed to live and have an opportunity to test ourselves and our faith. If faith were easy, how could it be made strong? It would blow over at the slightest wind. If a back is not tested by labor, can it expect to support another's weight when that other's cross is too much for one to lift? Can we expect it to be willing to lend aid, or will one say, "Carry your own burdens."?
We can miss the benefit of trial even more easily than we miss the blessings we have while enduring it. In the midst of trouble, we focus on the difficulty rather than the gifts we have. We think of ourselves as weighed down but take for granted what lifts us up. We should not be so concerned with the the difficulty that we miss the difference between ourselves and those with far less but who sing louder praise with greater joy. They have come through hardship not singing in spite of it but because of it.
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