Celebrate bankruptcy? How foolish that seems to us! Yet author Leo Buscaglia’s mother did just that.

Her husband came home one evening and sadly told the family that his business partner had stolen the assets of the firm. Bankruptcy was unavoidable.

Instead of despairing, Leo’s mother went out, pawned some jewelry, and prepared a delectable dinner. When family members protested, she replied, “The time for joy is now when we need it most, not next week.”

Mrs. Buscaglia’s response to her family’s financial crisis reminds me of a New Testament directive: “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (Jas. 1:2).

Have you run into difficult circumstances recently? Has some calamity gripped your heart with fear and sorrow? God doesn’t want you to wear a hypocritical, smiling face. But He does want you to trust Him through all your circumstances—including calamities! He wants you to accept failure, sickness, and loss as opportunities for growth in faith and obedience.

Our wise and loving heavenly Father longs for us to submit to His sovereign control. Only as we do that can we agree with James and rejoice even in calamity.

  — Vernon C. Grounds