James 1:2-4

It's my last week of formal classes in PT school. Amidst studying for finals and saying goodbye to many dear friends, I'm packing up and getting ready for the move back to SC for internships this fall.
This morning I went to Starbucks to journal out some stuff and spend time with the Lord before going to Creekside for my last time worshipping there for a while. I had put in my favorite Hillsong CD and had turned up my favorite song as I made my way across town to the church. Singing, I turned left at a light and from out of nowhere there is a blue SUV on my right side that side swiped me and then kept going. Absolutely furious and pumping with adrenaline, I put my foot on the gas to try to make the guy pull over or at least get his tag number. As I glance in my rear view mirror, I see a cop come through the intersection. I took a deep breath and then watched as the cop passed me and pulled up behind the man who'd hit me. I pulled up and stopped behind the cop. It was only then that I kind of realized what had just happened and came unravelled. We pulled off to the side and figured everything out. The man was nice enough, and we got everything exchanged and went on our way.
By the time I actually got to church, I only caught the last 5-10minutes of the message and the last worship set. As I walked in, I was so tempted to be angry. Here I was, robbed of my last time worshipping in church, and I was tired and bitter - I'm trying Lord... why?? as I'm trying to study for finals and move and honor You in the process... why? The pastor was finishing up his message and I quieted my heart to listen. He said, "The very fact that the sun rose this morning, that the earth is still spinning, that the earth is still the distance it needs to be from the sun is evidence enough of God's faithfulness... not to mention the fact that He sent Christ to die for me. The question is, will we be faithful?" Wow, I am so tempted to look at my circumstances and complain and think that for some reason I deserve better or that this shouldn't have happened to me. NO! In that moment, I realized I could not let the schemes of Satan, those stupid little lies, twisted truths rob me of worshipping God. As they played the last worship set, I wept as I praised God that no one had been hurt, that there had been a cop who had seen it and chased the guy down, that i was able to call my dad and get his help, that I have 2 amazing roommates that I knew I could call and would come help me if I needed it, that I was a block from church, that I have a church body here... I could go on and on. God's hand was all over this morning.
After church, I had some people double check that I could actually drive my car home, which actually had it's own set of frustrations involved. I got frustrated as a guy first talked about how terrible Jeeps are and then berated me for how I was taking care of my car (buying the cheapest gas, where I get my oil changed, etc.) rather than just telling me whether I could get home or not, but in the end, I know he was trying to help and am thankful for that. I drove home, exhausted, thinking and praying "Lord, I am trying to praise you through this, to not be proud and be faithful, but this is a little much on top of finals and such."
I got home and shared the whole story with my roommate. She grabbed her Bible, opened it up to a page and told me to read vs. 2-4. It was James 1:2-4. Amidst the last few weeks of school, I had been feeling discouraged and had felt encouragement from a few passages that I e-mailed out to a few people in my class. On Thursday, one of my classmates walked up to me and thanked me for sharing and said he'd been reading in James. Familiar with the passage, I nodded my head and begrudgingly went back to studying.
So, when Elissa shared this same passage, i was overcome with... I don't even know what, just overwhelmed as I read over words I've seen and heard so many times, but that now had such a fresh meaning: "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."
Indeed, pasa chara (greek for count it all joy and my apartments motto the past year). God is so faithful. I can't take the little everyday things for granted because they prove to me each day that my God is so good and faithful. And He sent His Son to walk a perfect life on this earth and die on my behalf. Is there anything more God could have done for me? Is there anything else I deserve? Certainly not... that is more than enough. I won't let circumstances rob me of the joy and peace there is in surrender and worship of my King and my Father.