Our response to every difficulty we face shapes our character. 

Back in October of last year, my family and I went through a trial that completely shook us.

Amidst it all, someone told me, "Zac, remember that this trial and adversity is only temporary. But if you handle it the right way, the blessings and promotion that you can receive from this will be permanent."

He said to me, "You have encountered a formidable blow, one that has caused your heart to fracture. What comes pouring out of those fractures will reveal what you are really made of and what resides within you..."

Those words stuck with me and I've read them over and over again.

Honestly, I was scared at first... My mind immediately went to Jeremiah 17:9,

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick..."

I knew that without a plan, not just for myself but for my family too, we wouldn't be able to fulfill God's calling for our lives...We would end up bitter, and broken.

So I prayed, studied, and wrote down a plan, and we've been following that plan.

I can genuinely say that because of the Lord and this(His) plan, what is pouring out of our hearts after the pain we experienced last October is nothing short of a miracle. 

Love, forgiveness, and joy are overflowing.

I've witnessed firsthand the damage that this kind of pain can cause if you don't heal from it the right way...

Ministry is tough… 

Life is tough...

But if we want to survive and truly live again, we need to know how to respond when faced with difficult circumstances.

Here are five steps we've taken to not only build our character but also to survive, thrive, and move forward.

My hope is that by sharing this with you, if you're going through a difficult season and your heart feels broken, it will lead you to healing and restore your hope, just as it has for us!

Isaiah 12:1–6 (ESV) provides us with a blueprint on how to respond in challenging situations – Go ahead and read it, then come back here and let's break it down together...

"I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me...."

#1 - EXPRESS GRATITUDE... Give thanks regardless of our circumstances. We've had to be intentional about this. Sometimes, in the middle of a conversation, I've actually paused and redirected it back to expressing my gratitude. If you want to heal in the right way, start by counting your blessings and thanking God for them! Gratitude positions our hearts and minds to receive from the Lord!

"call upon his name,..."

#2 - SEEK THE LORD'S GUIDANCE... Seek the Lord's guidance in every situation. Ask HIM what you should do now... Look, if you haven't done so already, let me encourage you to sit down, pray, and seek the Lord's direction on how to navigate this season. Trust me, you don't want to try to make it through on your own! Call on God to come and give you guidance. There have been countless nights, and there still are, where I've cried out to God for help, and HE ALWAYS comes through, in His own way and timing.

"make known his deeds among the peoples"

#3 - SHARE WHAT GOD IS DOING... We should be sharing what God is doing in and around our lives! Personally, I strongly believe in sharing what God is doing in our lives! Let's look for things to celebrate and share how good the Lord is! I celebrate every little thing! This keeps us living with anticipation and excitement for what God will do next! I can't wait to share about God's victories!

"Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth..."

#4 - LIFT YOUR VOICE IN PRAISE. This is crucial for us. Our family has sung through tears of pain, eventually transforming them into shouts of praise. Sometimes, in the midst of waiting, we have to worship. On Sunday mornings at Dream City, we worship together, and there's something incredibly powerful about the worship that arises, which I genuinely believe wouldn't be there if the enemy hadn't attacked as he did! Worship helps us remember who God is and what He has done.

"Shout, and sing for joy..."

#5 - CHOOSE JOY. Normally, when we face trials and tribulations, we tend to complain about how terrible things are... We had to make a conscious decision to choose joy over regret. If we're going to be loud and shout about something... Let it be for joy! Maybe you're going through something right now, and you feel like joy is nowhere to be found...

...Let me remind you that joy doesn't depend on our circumstances or what has happened to us... Joy comes from the Spirit of God living in us AND working through us. 

Many of us are content with God living IN us, but we'll never experience His joy until we allow Him to work THROUGH us...

Ask yourself, "How is Jesus actively working through me?"

Facing tough times is a part of life.

Look we are still processing things ourselves…By no means am i saying I have figured this all out….But I am learning that how we handle life’s challenges shapes who we are.

By being thankful, seeking guidance, sharing our experiences, praising, and choosing joy, we not only survive but thrive.

Let's remember, even in hard times, there's hope.

So let's keep going and believing that the best really is, yet to come.

—PZ