When was the last time you had to train for something?

Personally, I think back to high school sports and training for track.  I went into track my senior year of high school never having been a runner and so the training was brutal. At the end of track, I got the award for Most Improved which is interesting since I never won any races. However, I was thinking about how painful that training was, but then how how sweet the reward was at the end because at the end of my senior year of track, I had gone from my fastest mile time of 8 minutes and 20 seconds to 6 minutes and 24 seconds! So I shaved about two minutes off my time, which is why I got most improved. It didn't score the team any points, but I hit my own personal best. 

This really makes me think of some of the things that you and I have faced over the last year. There's the global challenge we've all walked through, but then I know that because of the global challenge that you have also had your own personal challenges. You've had your own personal heartbreaks. So with all that being said, I want to ask you this:

What if every trial we are going through is training for the next thing?

I think that's the truth! I learned a whole lot of things about life when I was running track. I also think about the first 13 years of my career that I spent in country music. I had no idea that the Lord would move me to Christian radio in ministry someday. What if all of the hardship you're going through right now is a gift to strengthen you? I think that we can say that confidently because this is what Paul said to the church in Rome:

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." - Romans 5:3-5

What if the difficulty you're in right now is preparing you for glory to come?