The challenge is ... are you going to praise God even when tough times come? I learned first hand that he is working for my good. And will work the situation out according to His will and my good.
Last year when I got back from a mission trip to Africa, I was sick. I had actually gotten sick the day we left Kenya and was sick the entire 27 hours of travel home. I could not shake it and 3 days later went to an urgent care facility in my hometown. (The trip to Africa was great. So much faith there and goodness in the midst of what most of us would see as hopeless. The people there really strengthened my faith while there.)
So as I went back to the examining room, I told the nurse tech my symptoms and that I had just returned from Africa. I honestly did not put 2 and 2 together but my symptoms matched the symptoms of Ebola. And I had just come back from Africa although I knew Kenya was not on the CDC watch list. Long story short, they went into full Ebola protocol. I was quarantined to that examining room. I couldn't leave. The only person that could come in the room was the same girl that initially had contact with me. She was wearing a biohazard mask, I was wearing a mask, the whole clinic was abuzz. The whole 9 yards. It should have been a very scary situation.
But I prayed. I remembered what I had been reading for years in daily devotions and what I had been taught at church. I remembered the faithful Kenyan pastors in the slums of Kibera in Niarobi. No matter how bad is gets, keep praising God. It was my opportunity to activate my faith. I was kind to the nurse and reassured her that everything was going to be ok. I did everything they needed me to do. I stayed calm and optimistic... Even though I still felt sick from the symptoms that brought me there in the first place.
Almost an hour later, the scare was over. The CDC had cleared me, a doctor was in the room administering shots, and I had a prescription to take for 10 days. God worked it all out. It was a great test to see if I was getting closer to whom He is teaching me to be. Praise Him in the tough times and see Him work!