I love how The Message interprets James 1:

James 1
1I, James, am a slave of God and the Master Jesus, writing to the twelve tribes scattered to Kingdom Come: Hello! Faith Under Pressure
2-4Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
5-8If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.
9-11When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don't ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that's a picture of the "prosperous life." At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.
12Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

I must say, I have never thought of it as a sheer gift to endure trials. I can consider it joy mostly (although not happiness) but joy because I know my heavenly Father will work out all things for my good because I love Him. However, I have never thought of it as a sheer GIFT. I have heard that God whispers on the mountain top but he shouts in the valley and I have heard that it is in the valley where you grow, but I have not often thought of the valley as being a sheer gift. hmmm... "Don't try to get out of things prematurely" relates to "let patience have its perfect work" in the NIV. I don't know about you, but whenver I am going through a trial,
I try my best to figure out a way out of it. Perhaps, I am missing the point - God wants to speak to me, he wants me to grow by going through my trial. He will make me mature and complete through it. I love the part - "if you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help." It seems so simple the way he puts it as if it should be followed with "duh". However, so many times I forget.

A friend sent me a text message once that said "look up" at a fireworks show. I save it as a reminder that I need to look up to heaven often and pray and ask God for wisdom. How about you? How does this passage from The Message speak to you?