Pain is the fuel of passion — it energizes us with an intensity to change that we don't normally possess. C. S. Lewis said, "Pain is God's megaphone." It is God's way of arousing us from spiritual lethargy. Your problems are not punishment; they are wake-up calls from a loving God. God is not mad at you; he's mad about you, and he will do whatever it takes to bring you back into fellowship with him.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy. And God wept that it hurt you so; But it was allowed to shape your heart So that into his likeness you'd grow.

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.

Weakness is hard, but it doesn't have to mean defeat. It's our opportunity to experience God's power firsthand.

But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Prayer is the exercise of drawing on the grace of God.

Pray not for lighter burdens but for stronger backs.

We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.

Do not despair. Do not give up. Look for the sunlight through the clouds.

Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep going. Tough situations build strong people in the end.

Every challenge, every adversity, contains within it the seeds of opportunity and growth.

If you have shed a thousand tears, expect a thousand blessings.