"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." ~ 2 Cor. 4:7-10

I read this Sunday morning at a Starbucks in Springfield, Mo., and for the first time in ages (or perhaps ever) this scripture was beautiful to me. It was more than just encouragement in a bad time. It was a reminder that God really is the big picture, and in some manner I understood for a moment what the apostle Paul ment when he said, "rejoicing always and in every circumstance". We will be pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. That's just life. But that doesn't change God's love for us. Circumstances don't define His love for us. The fact that we aren't crushed, abandoned or destroyed is what defines His love. We can choose to despair, but we don't have to. We can choose joy in every circumstance. We can't be joyful in our own strength, but then Jesus never asked us to be. We just have to make the choice to allow the Holy Spirit to make us joyful. We have to choose to let go of our "right" to be grouchy or depressed.

It's also a picture of grace. Life has storms, but He will calm His children in the midst of storms if we'll let Him.