Since the loss of my husband's job, we have: started our own business (GULP), lost our home (SIGH), gone completely broke, (yet always receive our daily bread), and finally, discovered the reason for it all.
Although many would see all of this as a run of bad luck, we couldn't disagree more. Within a few months of losing our house, we looked at each other with light bulbs over heads, and realized, we're free. Free to do whatever God wants us to, which seems now to have been His plan all along. He knew we were wimps. He knew that even if we wanted to let go of the american dream, we wouldn't know how and wouldn't want to run the risk of looking crazy. now we don't have a choice but to look crazy, and it's awesome!!
We are now doing the things that people only talk about doing. Things like, ministering to young people infected with HIV/AIDS in Europe, and building homes for the homeless in Mexico. In fact, we are sure that we are being drawn to full time missions in the very near future.
While I don't doubt that some of these things we have endured and continue to endure are for our own discipline (See Hebrews 12:10), I also don't doubt Romans 8:28 is in effect.
"For we know that in all thing s God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose."