In the New Testament book of James, we're reminded to count it all joy when we face trials and that is difficult.

They're uncomfortable in the moment, but challenges have a powerful way of allowing God to shape our character.

I'm John Fuller joined by my focus colleagues, Aaron and Greg Smolley, and Aaron,

I'm sure that as I'm saying that, you can think of a time or two where you and Greg went through some really difficult times, but you came out of it stronger, more together.

I can remember we had just moved to a new little small town in Arkansas.

We were teaching at John Brown University, and we got news that my mom was diagnosed with cancer, and she was in Arizona.

And so I immediately packed up and left and was gone, and here Greg was with our three small kids in this new town with a new job.

We were living in a rental house until our house was ready, and I was gone.

And I can remember, like through that season, his support, his continued encouragement to go when I needed to go be with my mom, because her journey with cancer was like 18 months, and then she went to be with the Lord.

And I just was so grateful on the other side of it, how encouraging he was supportive, and I also learned that he was pretty capable.

He held the fork down. I would call at the end of the day and say, did you remember to make their lunch?

Did you remember to set their clothes at, and he's like, no, they got it, like they're making their own lunches now.

And I was like, wait a minute, did you remember they need a ride home from school?

Thank you, call Uber, they got their own right home.

There was at one point that as we were, we had bought a new home right before she left.

And so I thought a great way to support her would be to have our small group, kind of come over and help pack, and let's get it all moved in.

So when she comes home, you know, it's all done, and she'll be so surprised, and she will love me even more.

So she calls one day, and I'm talking to her at the new house, there was a train track.

And so the train just happens to be going through and blows its whistle.

And so Erin goes, hey, what was that? I went, I don't know, some train. She goes, wait, are you at the new house?

I went, like, why? She goes, please tell me that you didn't have people help move us into the new house.

It was so torn going, no, that didn't happen. And calling everybody to go, you gotta move us back into the old house.

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