Don’t we all face them?

Ugly situations.

They are a test of life.

And life is one big test from start to finish!

Yet, our answer and grace, our hurdle-jumper, is thanksgiving.

“A thankful window opens windows of Heaven,” a mystic quotes Jesus as saying. “A thankful mindset does not entail a denial of reality with its plethora of problems. Instead, it rejoices in Me, your Savior, in the midst of trials and tribulations.”

That is a key to life!

Also to remember: God doesn’t allow difficult situations unless they serve His purpose.

Life throws us many curves. We say, “It isn’t fair.” We might even despair, without Him.

When we trust that God is in control, He will make something good out of the ugly.

When you overcome difficulty with gratitude you will reach a level of your destiny that you would never have reached by living in just the “good” times.

They are necessary–difficult times–to grow in faith and endurance. God enlarges in our distress. He does some of His greatest work during the ugly “seasons.” When we thank Him no matter what, a portal opens to miraculous domains.

Know well that everyone is equal in the eyes of God and that no matter how much it seems like you’re getting the short end of the bargain, a right response to it (constant thanks) will bring abundance.

It will bring maturity.

It will steel your spirit.

Can we possibly thank God enough? Is it not incomprehensible, the gift of existence itself?

No hardship can stand in comparison.

Every day, we need to tally the gifts we’ve been given (including the insults, the disappointments with family or friends, the car honking at you, “ugly” situations) and thank God for being with us.

What we do in a difficult situation determines how long we’ll remain in it.

Be your best when life throws you a curve.

Those trying situations are an opportunity to show God who you are.

When we thank God in difficulty, new ways open before us, especially when, in conjunction, we love and bless those who harbor curses for us.

That turns back the arrows: Doing the right thing in ugly circumstances.  You can be beautiful even if the situation is the opposite of that.

Those who come out of the ugliness are those with a made-up mind. They’re not moved by those who do them wrong. “Take up your cross and follow Me.”

The “ugliness” can be tough indeed: the death of someone close, a searing strain in a relationship.

But we transcend anything when we love and thank God.

[resources: A Life of Blessings]