I am reading a book, "Between A Rock And A Grace Place" by Carol Kent.This is how it begins:

"If you picked up this participants's guide, it no doubt means you are someone who is living in the middle of circumstances you wish were more favorable."  Then, it goes on to say:

"One day when I was struggling, my sister emailed me a verse from the Bible.  Romans 9:33. (Eugene Peterson's rendering from The Message)

"Careful! I've put a huge stone on the road to Mount Zion, A stone you can't get around;
But the stone is me! If you're looking for me, you'll find me on the way, not in the way."

Furthermore, Carol writes:

"It has now been more than a decade ago, right in the middle of my life, that I ran into a huge boulder, the likes of which I had never encountered on my lifelong walk with God. It could have been my stopping place, the point at which I lost not only some of my most cherished dreams but also my faith and passion to go on.

Instead, I found out that the rock in my path represented not an obstacle but an opportunity to encounter the living God in surprising, sometimes astonishing ways. As I have learned to "press into" the Rock in the middle of my hard places I have learned that I am actually in a position of safety, refuge, and grace ..."

"If you too feel caught in one of those tight spots that seem unusually difficult, if not unbearable, I pray that you will come to realize that the pain of being in this place need not cause you to lose hope. If you press into the Rock instead of trying to get around it, you will discover a surprise far better than a birthday or a Christmas gift.

On the road that is your life right now, you can find a new way of thinking about your circumstances, as well as an astonishing experience of grace, tailor-made for you. As you encounter God, on the way, not in the way....you may come to know Him as you never have before."

Thank you Carol for that teaching and thank you Most Gracious God for helping Carol to turn her time of great distress into a precious, teaching moment.