¹¹ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him. (Matthew 7:11 CSB)

We must remember, no matter what is happening in our lives, that our Father in heaven wants the best for His children.

Depending upon what you are going through that can seem like a distant hope or maybe even an unfulfilled prayer. I have experienced times of doubt and despair and watched others go through extended periods of physical and emotional pain. Times that do not seem to end. How can we feel that our Father wants the best for us during extended periods like this?

First, I believe, we need to consider why it is extended. Maybe there is something we need to learn and that we are being stubborn about. Maybe this extended period is more about our growth than the pain itself. Too often we reject this and think that God is just not answering our prayers. We need to adjust our thinking and remember that Gods timing and plans are not our plans or timing.

There is much to learn on a long road of pain. There is much to be gained, even in loss. We cannot always know the why’s, but we can accept the instruction and open ourselves to growth. Once we have, we may recognize just how loving our Father has been to give us so much time to come to a given realization.

Do not look at the long hard road as a burden. Maybe, just maybe, it is a gift.