When it rains, it pours. I’m drenched! For the last five or six weeks I have been in the school of testing.

• Both of my cars were towed in the same week. Lori’s needed a new computer and radiator, mine is an electrical problem. It’s been at the mechanics for over a month and is still not running.
• I took my daughter to the dentist and she needed a root canal and three cavities filled.
• My swimming pool was filled with algae and I couldn’t fix it, so I had to take several days to drain it and refill it.
• It took me over three times, over several weeks, to get a travel visa for a trip I’m about to take.
• Now, as I write this, my wife and two of my kids have the flu.

This has caused a tsunami of financial stress, along with physical, mental, and emotional fatigue. All the while I have faced the challenges and demands of pastoring a church, leading them through a renovation, and preparing for a major trip overseas. I say this not to be pitied, but to encourage you. If you are going through a tough time, you are not alone. Not only that, you can get through it. Here are four things that have helped me endure these issues (though not perfectly I admit).

• Prayer: Seeking God increases when trials come your way. Hand it over to God. It is a reminder that He is in control.
• People: My family and church family have encouraged me. They have also prayed for me. Just sharing with a few of them has been helpful. Again, it is a reminder that you are not alone and people care for you.
• Perspective: My problems are fierce, but not serious. Nothing has been a matter of life or death. Nothing has happened that will adversely affect me forever.
• Praise: God seems to show up more in the hard times. I have definitely felt His hand upon me, using me of late. When I am weak, He is strong. Also, I can praise God because there have been an abundance of blessings of late, too.

Do you have some problems you need to handle? Try the 4 p’s. Is there a loved one facing a slew of issues? Encourage them with these 4 p’s. Never forget: God is good all the time. All the time God is good.