In today’s world, especially in countries like The United States, it can be easy to get caught up on all our small problems. It can be easy to forget that what we see as tsunamis and tornados are really just ripples and dust devils. 

I‘m sure you’ve had times when something didn’t go as you had hoped. Times when you had been sure something would be easy, and it turned out to be much harder than you expected. 

Or times when something, or many somethings, seemed to be blocking the way forward, and you didn’t know how to continue on. 

Everyone has times of difficulty and stress, but how do you respond to these? And how do you think about them?

When I’m faced with a difficulty, I’m tempted to give into my feelings that tell me it’s too big of a problem to face. That tell me it’s too much to deal with. That it’s impossible to beat. 

Maybe you’ve felt the same way. Maybe sometimes the mountain of trials seems to be crushing you under its weight, and you don’t see how you can possibly get back to your feet. 

And maybe there’s some sense to the stress and anxiety berating you, but don’t give in. 

Instead, take a moment to think. How many people have faced worse than you have? How many people have suffered greater, have stood against more, have found their way through darker seas?

Almost certainly, the answer is hundreds, even thousands.  

So how did the ones who made it stand firm? How did they survive the tidal wave?

If they survived in spirit, they did so with the help of God. Because maybe you can’t do it. Maybe it’s too much for you to handle. But it’s never too much for God. 

And yet, maybe all those stories of martyrs and heroes of the faith seem far away to you. Maybe reading about them feels too much like a dusty history book that can’t reach your life. 

If that’s the case, I would opt for something similar, but easier to be drawn in by. 

It’s something I hadn’t really thought about until I found myself thrust into the story, but simple Christian fiction can be an amazing tool for seeing the world through the eyes of someone who has suffered more than you have or perhaps ever will. 

I read mostly fantasy, but while that genre has given me some amazing perspective, it might still seem much too far away for you. You might write it off as unrealistic. 

But that is much harder to do with historical fiction. 

Even if the character in the story is made up, it’s much harder to ignore an example of something that really did happen to people. 

If you can find Christian autobiographies, those are often even better, but there are also fewer of them.  

I mostly started reading historical fiction sometime in the past year or so. The book I read was unpublished and still in the drafting phase, but it did so much for me. 

It was set in Nazi Germany, and followed a young woman separated from her family as they fled the country. 

While it had its more fanciful moments, it did a wonderful job of drawing me in. 

This book, The Jewel of Berlin, is coming out November 25th. 

So, maybe I’m biased, but if you’re interested in reading some historical fiction, that could be a good place to start. 

If you would prefer to read something more “realistic”, I would recommend The Hiding Place. 

But no matter what you read, I hope you remember Who got the people in each of those stories to safety. Who saved their souls and guided them through the storm. 

Because He is with you, too. Nothing is too small for Him, and nothing too big. He tells us that He will always provide an escape. He will always be there to bring you home. 

So, whether you’re facing a daunting task at work, a difficult friendship, the death of a loved one, or a burnt cookie, turn to God as your strength, and trust that He will lead you through the trial. 

He’s done so for His children time and time again, and He will not fail this time.