Devotions from Lisa McMinn’s book, The Contented Soul

We all go through hard times and when we embrace struggle, we learn fortitude and just how capable we are of enduring. We also open ourselves to receive blessings from others.  The French Jesuit priest, Jean-Pierre de Caussade, encourages Christians to recognize God in every moment-not to run from struggle but to surrender to it, trusting that God’s will is found in our actions and our suffering. He is present in whatever we go through and will give us strength.

When we learn to rest in God and not try to escape from unpleasant struggles, God can transform us and help us use the moment to help us understand and love more deeply. Instead of trying to fix all our discomforts, we can learn to respond rightly. “When we treat each moment as sacred, we learn from one moment what will uphold some practice of virtue in the next. God uses every experience to shape, teach, and prepare us…we are instructed to experience all of life deeply, holding on to the hope of God while being present to whatever this moment brings, because God is there.” That is the real secret of surrender.