Today's reflections on hardship and gratitude from a Christian's perspective... -------- Joy isn’t found in avoiding hardship but in treasuring Christ above all. Gratitude deepens when we see every gift as pointing back to the Giver. Psalm 16:11 — “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy.” -------- Every earthly longing is a shadow pointing us toward our true home. Gratitude grows as we see unmet desires not as failures, but as reminders that heaven is real. Hebrews 11:16 — “They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.”