Last week we talked about some of the trials of life - stuff that happens simply because we live in a fallen world; and how God uses what we go through to help us through what I called the Perfecting Process (perfect being a Biblical term that often just means complete and whole, or mature). We saw how if we watch, if we ask WHAT GOD and not WHY GOD, then we can cooperate with the perfecting process and God's ultimate intention for our lives - making us more like Jesus - is able to happen.

This week, we are still in the first chapter of James - but I want to show you something that may shake your theology a bit.

You see we live in a culture where those who believe in God love the blessings that God brings to them. We like to look at verses 16 and 17 of this first chapter: "Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

Father of Lights you delight in Your children, we sing. We love the good and perfect gifts from above, don't we?

But have you ever gotten a gift that ultimately was good, and truly perfect - but it didn't SEEM good at the time? IOW, what if SOME of those trials we face in life didn't come from just life happening, but from a different source?