“I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” These words of St. Paul are among the most familiar and encouraging verses in Scripture. Yet they are sometimes misunderstood. When Paul says, “I can do all things in him who strengthens me,” he is not promising that life will always be easy, that every prayer will be answered as we hope, or that those who trust in God will never experience adversity, sorrow, or disappointment. Paul himself knew hardship. He experienced rejection, imprisonment, suffering, uncertainty, and loss. His strength did not come from having a life free of difficulties. His strength came from knowing that he was never alone in facing them. That is an important distinction for us as well. Faith does not mean that we will never have difficult days. There will be...