Hey, guys, and welcome to the messy table, an ordinary space for real women,

imperfect stories, and the God who's constantly at work in our mess.

I'm Jen Jewel, the host of this conversation style podcast, which airs a brand new episode every other Tuesday.

So whether you're joining us from a treadmill, from your desk, or while chauffeering kids all around town with their stinky socks and sports equipment, we are seriously grateful you're here.

So I'm curious, how many of us are legitimately shocked

when we stumble into a trial?

Some call it a storm, a fire, a hardship,

some form of suffering that flips life as we know it completely upside down.

Of course, no one wants to face hard things or God forbid to

suffer, but just because we're quote unquote good people or even followers of Christ, that does not

make us immune from the sting of this broken world. In fact, Jesus himself said in this world,

you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.

Now, I appreciate how Jesus didn't sugarcoat things. I'm also glad he didn't leave us to

fend for ourselves. Instead, he gave us his word, his spirit, and the strength to endure, to keep going.

Even in the midst of trials and suffering, God is still right there. Maybe your precious

baby will not stop crying. Maybe someone you respected painfully betrayed your trust. Maybe your

finances are in a chaotic mess and you're not sure where to go from here. Maybe you are given a

scary diagnosis or someone you love is no longer here.

Maybe it's simply the overwhelming demands of everyday life that just feel like too much.

James, who was the half-brother of Jesus, wrote,

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds,

because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

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