you can't avoid the trench...

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds...

James 1:2

Notice what this verse says about trials, it does not say IF you meet trials, it says WHEN. Trials are a part of life, they are not a fun part of life, but they are a part of it.

I have been thinking about trials quite a bit. I spent several hours alone in my car this past weekend and as a result I had lots of thinking time. As I was pondering trials, God gave me a word picture from an unlikely source...Finding Nemo. The majority of the movie deals with the trial of Nemo's dad trying to find Nemo (hence the name). Just as Nemo's dad and his new found friend Dory set out to swim to Sydney, Dori is given some advice about how to navigate the way. She is told NOT to swim above the trench, but rather to swim through it. 

The easy way appears to be avoiding the trench completely and swimming closer to the surface. Marlin and Dory soon find out that there are some major obstacles in the "easy way". There is not just one baby jellyfish waiting to sting them, there are thousands of them. They discover that there not an easy way out and it would have been best for them to keep swimming through the trench. 

As life throws trials at us, we need to remember this scene. We are tempted to look for the "easy way" out of trials, we want to skip some of the steps of grief, we ignore the pain, or we try to fill our emptiness with something else. Avoiding the trench will only cause pain of a different kind, that trench could very well be the only way to find growth. 

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

 I Peter 5:10

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

 John 16:33

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Romans 12:12 


Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 
James 1:12

Trials are tough, they are something we will all face in our lives. God knows it is hard, that is why He has promised to walk with us. He will give us the strength to walk through them and He has given us assurance that we will get through them! The Bible is full of God's promises to us. 

If you are in the midst of a trial right now, cry out to Jesus. Tell Him its hard, ask Him to help you, rest in His arms. Don't look for the easy way out, look to Jesus to carry you through. I don't promise it will be easy; but He will be there every step of the way!