Addressing the distresses of life

All the unpleasant things which are within your soul and cause you anxiety can become occasions for the glorification of God and cease to torment you.  Have trust in God.  Then you will forget your worries and become His instruments.  Distress shows that we are not entrusting our life to Christ.  Doesn’t St. Paul say, ‘We are afflicted on every side, but not distressed?’ 

Deal with everything with love, kindness, meekness, patience and humility.  Be rocks.  Let all the waves break over you and turn back leaving you untroubled.  You’ll say, ‘That sounds fine, but is it possible?’  The answer is ‘Yes, always—with the grace of God.’  If we look at things in human terms, of course, it is impossible.  But instead of affecting you adversely, all these things can be of benefit to you, increasing your patience and your faith.  Because all the difficulties that surround us represent a kind of gymnastics for us.  We exercise ourselves in patience and endurance.