How to Find Good in Hard Times

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Summer on a farm is a time of intense work but winter has its challenges. Harsh temperatures and inclement weather make every chore more difficult, but they’re an opportunity to learn how to find good in hard times.

Horses, like humans, have distinct personalities. Toby, my first horse, has always been sassy and full of zip, but he’s slowed quite a bit. He’s more than thirty years old now, and his personality is a little more zap than zip. He’s slower to come up than he used to be and his final days are near.

Toby’s especially slow about eating, and it shows in his gaunt physique. I added extra feed, wormed him more often, checked his teeth. No change. He’s always been thin, but he’s gotten thinner as the years have passed. “Just like me,” Sam, my farm manager of nearly 30 years, always said. “We’re both thin. It don’t matter a bit.”

Most of the time, I feed the horses together in one trough at the edge of the pasture. The younger horses eat quickly. Toby chews on every bite. It takes him a while, and he’s often at the trough long after the other horses have wandered away. Hay’s always available, so he’s never without something to eat, but I worry about him.

Finding good even in cold weather

When single-digit weather came, I moved the horses to the pasture behind the barn and fed them in their stalls again. The first day, the young horses finished eating long before Toby. I waited a bit to turn them out, and Toby finished his grain.

Last night, I dumped feed into Toby’s pan and ran my hand down his side. He was still lean, but his ribs weren’t quite as prominent. He gained a few pounds while he was in the barn. “Hey, Toby, I think the freezing weather has helped you, old buddy.” He kept his head in the feed.

The cold snap brought low temperatures, ice, frozen pipes, and extra work, but the effort wasn’t wasted. Toby’s a little better. It’s a bit of good in the midst of the hard.

How to find good in hard times

 I’ve been through plenty of hard times in my life, but one thing’s been true of every difficulty. We can always find good in hard times IF we’re willing to look for it.          

We all go through hard times. It’s easy to lose sight of the good in the midst of the hard. If you want to find good in hard times, consider these three questions. Your answers may change your perspective:

1. What growth has God brought from my difficulty?
2. How am I becoming more like Him because of this situation?
3. How has blessing come from the hard?

God is always at work, no matter what situation we face. If we look for His blessing, we’re sure to find it.

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?…But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:35, 37 nasb

Let’s Chat: How have you found good in hard times and blessings in the midst of trials and difficulties? I’d love to hear your story!

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Want to read more? Here are links to a few other posts you may enjoy:

Promises of God Fulfilled

When the God of the Universe Knows Your Name

How to Trust God in Hard Times

Repentance and the Benefits Package

Will We Make Room for God in Our Lives?

Contentment Regardless of Circumstances

How to Memorize Scripture

Repentance: It’s Not Optional

On Being Beloved

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