When I was growing up, your Grandma used to say, “When God closes a door, he opens a window.”

It reminds me of one of my favorite verses in the Bible, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” Romans 8:28a

Think of baking a cake… Individually, you wouldn’t want to eat any of the ingredients on their own (raw eggs—yuck!), even sugar all by itself is hard to swallow. But mixed together, baked at the right temperature, and served at the right time, you get something sweet and enjoyable.

That’s what God does with our experiences in life. They aren’t all going to be good. But God uses even our failures, disappointments and heartbreaks to teach us, prepare us or guide us towards the blessings he ultimately has in store for us.

He will also sometimes use them—through us—as a way to bless others.

A former coworker asked me to lunch. She wanted to thank me for some advice I gave her during a difficult time in her life that changed her perspective. It was a lesson I learned during a painful time in my life. I realized then that God used my painful experience and gave me the words to comfort someone else, which is one of the greatest blessings of all.

The key is to find the silver lining; our hardest times often lead to our greatest moments.