A life that does not undergo

heart breaking adversity is rare.

Many of us talk about loss and suffering

and argue about why

bad things happen to good people.

What we really need

in the teeth of affliction

is not a plausible explanation

but the ability to endure

without emotional collapse

or spiritual bitterness.

Pray for an unfaltering faith

that stands strong

under life’s greatest pressures.

Taken from Our Daily Bread – August 25, 2000