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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Dear Rev. Graham: My dreams of becoming an aquatic athlete have come to a screeching halt because of a spinal injury and it is devastating. I’ve spent most of my childhood and teen years preparing to fulfill my dream. People in my church tell me that problems can be turned into blessings. I don’t see how! — S.D.

Dear S.D.: Joni Eareckson Tada was just 17 when she broke her neck on a dive into the Chesapeake Bay and was paralyzed from the shoulders down. She can’t walk or even roll over without help. Since then Joni has used a wheelchair and required much help from others every day. But she has also learned to paint with a brush held in her teeth. She sings and has written books and traveled the world to encourage and help others with disabilities — and to tell people about Jesus. She has turned her trouble into blessings, and so many have benefited from her wisdom and example and her love for others.
No one’s life is problem-free. Our problems may be big, like Joni’s. Or they may be smaller — like having conflicts with friends at school or fighting with siblings. Sometimes God removes our problems, and it isn’t wrong to ask Him to do that. Often He does remove them.
But sometimes the trials remain, and when they do, we should accept them and ask God to help us learn from them. We can recognize our troubles as opportunities from God to bless us more than we have ever experienced. The Bible tells us that God will help us do wonderful things if we look to Jesus, casting “all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)