Rodney hated riding the late bus home, but since he stayed after school for track practice, it was necessary. "Some of the guys on the bus think they're so cool," he complained when he arrived home one day. "They're so mean to me just because they know I go to church. I feel like punching them out!"

"And what would that do for your Christian testimony?" asked Mom. She gave him a hug. "Be patient, Son, and be true to God," she said. "He'll turn it around for His purpose."

Rodney wasn't so sure. "Well, I wish He'd hurry up then," he said with a sigh.

After supper, Rodney got up stiffly from the table. "Are you sure you're not overdoing it with all your after-school practice?" asked Dad. "Maybe being on the team is too much for you, Son."

"We get really hard workouts, and I feel pretty sore," agreed Rodney. He stretched his body, then slowly collapsed onto the couch. "But I don't mind a little aching," he added quickly. "It's for a good cause. Coach says we're strengthening our bodies so we'll be ready when we go against tough competition."

"So I guess what seems bad now will be turned around for good, right?" asked Dad.

"Now you sound like Mom," said Rodney. "That's what she tells me when I complain about the problem I'm having on the late bus. But I don't see anything good about that."

"I heard that!" Mom called from the kitchen.

Rodney and Dad grinned. "Mom's right," said Dad. "The hard team workouts are for a good cause, and they prepare your team for success later. In the same way, the difficult situations we face as Christians build us up for whatever the future holds. So when circumstances seem unbearable, think of them as being for a good cause, too. God will eventually turn those negative experiences into something for His good -- and for yours."