“The Christian community loves a success story.”

I wrote that in my journal a few weeks ago after listening to a radio interview with a Christian celebrity who had gone through some very difficult life circumstances, but who is now in a place of blessing with a husband who has been healed and a baby on the way after years of thinking there wouldn’t be one.

I didn’t begrudge her. We ought to celebrate with other believers when God intervenes and heals and provides! We ought to find comfort and hope in the examples of those who share what God has done in their lives.

But I wonder if we sometimes give more value to the stories of “I hung in there and God rewarded me” than we do to the stories of “I’m still hanging on and walking with God even though my blessing hasn’t come yet”.

Sometimes the success is that we hang on when the story isn’t wrapped up in a neat little bow, when the happily ever after ending hasn’t come yet, when no one is asking us for radio interviews to tell of the blessings being poured out on us after the time of testing.

If you are going through a period of trial or difficulty or grief and you are still walking with God and trusting Him and waiting patiently for your reward, then you are the celebrity. You are the success story that others need to hear about.

And so today, I applaud you. I thank God for you and for the things He is doing in your life during this time. And I’ll celebrate with you when the blessing comes.

But for today, you are the success story.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:6

…that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Philippians 2:16-17