# Explain this church sign: THANK GOD FOR YOUR TROUBLES. THEY MAY BECOME YOUR BLESSINGS **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 1, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363 "2009-06-01T15:12:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/1 "2009-06-01T15:12:04Z")
I’ve passed this sign about a hundred times and I still can’t make heads of tails of it. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/2 "2009-06-01T15:14:43Z")
Religion is the opiate of the people. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/3 "2009-06-01T15:19:59Z")
If you figure God has a reason for everything, you must also figure that there will be a silver lining for every cloud He throws your way. The sign is asking you not to curse God for your troubles, instead to thank Him and find what blessing may come from them. Sounds corny, I know, but that’s how faith works. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/4 "2009-06-01T15:22:57Z")
Trouble: Your job sucks. becomes Blessing: At least you keep it when everyone else you know is unemployed. Trouble: You lose your job. becomes Blessing: In desperation, you decide to go for that dream of being a writer/organic cookie baker/whatever, and you succeed beyond your wildest dreams! Trouble: Unwanted pregnancy becomes Blessing: The kid becomes your precious little darling! Need I go on? ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/5 "2009-06-01T15:23:10Z")
That sign means, “We are trying to sound all positive and Zen but we don’t really have anything important to say.” ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/6 "2009-06-01T15:23:46Z")
I’m an anti-religious kind of person so here’s my view on it. Religious folk like to thank god for all the good things that come into their life and happen to them. Anything “good” is credited to god. So when bad things happen god should be the one to blame right? No. God is simply disguising something good with the bad. Or there is a lesson to be learned to which good will come out of it. Or the bad has to happen first to cause something good. Religious folk have it all worked out so their god has his bases covered in all situations. So the sign could read “When god hands you shit thank him, because something good is bound to come out of it.” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/7 "2009-06-01T15:24:42Z")
The meeker you get, the more you can feel that rich, sweet earth coming your way! ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/8 "2009-06-01T15:26:07Z")
So they’re acknowledging that good and bad stuff happening are both due to God, which is very commendable, until the last bit where they cop out and say the bad stuff is really good stuff in disguise. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/9 "2009-06-01T15:29:55Z")
Simpsons: After a hurricane has devastated Springfield, the sign in front of the church reads, “GOD WELCOMES HIS VICTIMS.” ---
**Author:** ![barking\_frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@barking\_frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barking_frog)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/10 "2009-06-01T15:31:57Z")
Growth begins when comfort ends. Just think about the hard times in your life and how they have made you become a better person. Or turned you into a cold, bitter, monster, in which case you’ll just be ignored. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/11 "2009-06-01T15:38:01Z")
THANK GOD FOR YOUR TROUBLES. THEY MAY BECOME YOUR BLESSINGS Thank God - Finally for your troubles - your period they may become - has potential your blessings - benefits Finally your period has potential benefits. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/12 "2009-06-01T15:42:47Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Finally your period has potential benefits. Most women and men who date women over the age of about 15 know that. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/13 "2009-06-01T15:46:02Z")
The obstacle is the path. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/14 "2009-06-01T15:46:48Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > So the sign could read “When god hands you shit thank him, because something good is bound to come out of it.” **Dung Beetle**! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/15 "2009-06-01T15:50:39Z")
> [@barking\_frog](#): > > Growth begins when comfort ends. Joking and snark aside, I’ll go with this. Even with my atheist attitude, I can see the wisdom in it. It’s not how we deal with things going our way that tests and builds our character. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/16 "2009-06-01T16:08:38Z")
I actually have this tattooed on my leg (not the text, the passage numbers): > [@2 Cor. 12:10](#): > > Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. It’s the punchline to a story about a dude (Paul) who used to be really blessed and had it all going on for him. Then God puts a thorn in his side, and he gets mad at God about the thorn and asks him to take it out. And God’s like “you pay more attention to me when you’re weak, yaknow. Then you’re all badass with the power of The Lord.” Then Paul tells the Corinthians about how badass he is because he’s weak and that we should all relish in our weaknesses. I really dig it. Helps put things in perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/17 "2009-06-01T16:46:16Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > So the sign could read “When god hands you shit thank him, because something good is bound to come out of it.” There’s a pony in there somewhere! ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/18 "2009-06-01T16:57:11Z")
Lisa: “Dad, did you know that the Chinese use the same word for ‘crisis’ and ‘opportunity’?” Homer: “Yep. Crisortunity.” ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/19 "2009-06-01T17:15:39Z")
Damn, so many people will insist on giving the worst possible twist to anything that comes from a church. Okay, what if the same idea is proposed by someone who was no friend to organized religion? Does that make it more inherently sound? If so, consider Nietzsche’s famous dictum: “What does not kill you makes you stronger.” If you live a life free from adversity, you will not develop the strength necessary to survive outside your plastic bubble of bliss. It’s that simple. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363/20 "2009-06-01T17:41:42Z")
> [@Kizarvexius](#): > > Damn, so many people will insist on giving the worst possible twist to anything that comes from a church.. That’s probably because believers tend to be \*very \*selective about how they interpret evidence. A tornado wipes out some town in tornado alley. It hits a school full of children, but none of them is killed. Invariably, someone will say, “The Good Lord was watching out for us.” It never occurs to them to ask who sent the tornado. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-church-sign-thank-god-for-your-troubles-they-may-become-your-blessings/498363.md?page=2)