Walking in Jesus through trials

"Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude." 

~Colossians 2:6-7 (NASB)

I read these verses today as part of my Good Morning Girls Bible study while I was eating breakfast in the hospital cafeteria. Tears welled up in my eyes right there in the cafeteria as I realized how I am truly experiencing this right now. 

I shared in a recent post about how this NICU experience with my daughter has been markedly different for me from an emotional perspective than our similar NICU experience with my son nearly two years ago. When I wrote that post my daughter was only a day old and since then I have been waiting for the bottom to drop out of my emotional tolerance for this experience. So far, now that she is 6 days old, it hasn't. God has continued to bring me peace, joy, contentment, and strength when I have least expected it. I find myself multiple times a day on the brink of tears of gratefulness for all that God is doing for me, for our daughter, and for our family during this time. Reading this verse, I am starting to "get it."

I have been walking in Christ (as this verse encourages) in a way that I was not as faithful about doing at the time when my son was born. By "walking in Christ" I mean that I have been seeking to know Jesus for myself, not just reading or listening to what others teach, but spending daily time in the Word (the Bible) and in prayer. As a result, He is building me up and establishing my faith. This has filled me with gratitude for all that He has done and continues to do for me.  And thus, my perspective during life's trials has changed from one of despairing at the trial to "counting my blessing" within the trial and being grateful for how the trial matures me and offers me new opportunities to bring glory to God.

God has filled me with joy and strength and gratitude during this trying time with Lanie Kate in the NICU.  He has given me so so much to be grateful for. I know that our situation is not as dire as many people face, but the contrast of how I handled a similar (and even less dire) situation a couple of years ago when I was not being as faithful walking with Jesus, to how God is enabling me to handle the current situation, tells me that His work in my life as I walk with Him is the significant factor regarding my ability to have joy and gratitude during a difficult time. He can and will do the same for you if you walk with Him through your trials.