How can I have joy through trials when the crap hits the fan? What is the purpose of it all? Why does God allow this to happen to me? There is a purpose, and it’s a good one. Let me explain…
The other evening, I was headed off to work with a slight bit of dread. I had been scheduled to go up first in the tank (a pressurized environment), which meant that I would be dealing with things I had not dealt with in my previous positions in the plant, a thing that I had willfully done to make my day a little easier. It was at that point that the lessons were about to begin, and my “joy through trials” would be put to the test.
In the tank, I had to go through procedures that I had only been trained a few times at the beginning of my employment 6 months ago. I was rusty on the tasks at hand and had to ask for help. I was getting a bit stressed out while turning switches, pressing buttons, listening & speaking the correct lingo so I could get things done. As it is with my personality, I like to be prepared, but how can one prepare for the unknown? It was a hair-raising 15 minutes (for me), but my trials were over for the time being – no joy to be found, other than the fact that it was done.
After exiting the tank, I proceeded to my break, then to the cook panel (this is a part of the process where ingredients are mixed, then sent to a “stuffer” where the product goes into the tank to be put into cans) where things were already a mess.
I won’t even go into detail as to what was going on as it would fill a small manual with the problems/solutions that occurred, but again, I got through it all with a little stress on my part – no joy through trials had occured.
At the end of the night, I had to close down my area, a thing that I had done only once and under supervision, which meant more button-pushing that I had not done before, but the night ended, I lived and went home to forget the evening’s proverbial shit hitting the fan – still no joy through trials euphoria as I’m supposed to experience.
I had not seen the grand purpose of my little adventure through the chili valley (chili was the product du jour) until this morning, that is the morning of this post’s creation.
Last night, I learned more about the areas of work than I had ever learned during my six months at the plant. I acquired knowledge and skills about the machines I commanded, the processes that were needed to complete a job and found out that the night wasn’t nearly as bad as I made it out to be.
When going through trials, the joy to be found is in understanding how things work in the areas of this mortal coil, and more importantly, in the Kingdom of God. You learn, by seeking wisdom through Almighty God while going through the trials of your life so you can have more of a command of the outcome and to confront fear & defeat it by going through it.
I learned more about my machines and the process of making a product through my various trials. I would not have acquired my much-needed information had I continued to avoid things or passed them off to someone else. This did not occur to me until the Holy Spirit gave me the wisdom I needed (James 1:2-4) when I was ready to listen to Him, which was this morning of my walk to get pastries.
It’s funny how a quest for a doughnut can lead to an epiphany.
Joy found.
