It certainly wasn’t what you would call an ideal day for sailing—the sky was gray and ominous, the waves were restlessly breaking against the jetty pillars, and the small drops of rain that were beginning to fall from above threatened to become a violent downpour. A group of 40 members from my congregation were assembled on the weather-beaten, barnacle-encrusted pier, which stretched out over the dull blue, murky waters of the harbor.

As we patiently waited for the final preparations aboard the 100-foot schooner, I noticed that I wasn’t the only one digging my jacket out of my bag. This definitely wasn’t the weather that we had been praying for, and I got the feeling that I wasn’t alone in my apprehension for the adventure that we were about to embark on.

Before long, we were all aboard the vessel and had pushed away from the pier, beginning our journey across the rollicking waves of the bay. I took a long, slow breath, filling my lungs with the heavy, salty ocean air. I had been hoping that the day would be fine—that the warm rays of the sun would spill across the deck and that there would be a temperate breeze to fill the sails and drive us out toward the horizon.

I was brought back to reality when a powerful wave splashed over the side of the boat and drenched my shoes so that they made a squelching noise with each step. I tried to be thankful for the stiff, grimy raincoat that had been handed to me. Its smell was reminiscent of fishing days long gone, but at least it was doing a pretty decent job at protecting me from the rain that was beginning to beat down.

Scattered across the deck were groups of people, huddled together in an attempt to maintain some warmth. Everyone was either bracing themselves in some way or another or clinging to various ropes and poles on the vessel to avoid being tossed about like unsecured tools in the bed of a recklessly driven pickup truck. My teeth began to chatter as the wind increased in intensity.

How miserable! I thought. I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks, and it had to turn out like this?

As I braced myself against a railing, the wind whipping my hair and stinging droplets of rain hammering on my face, one of the children pointed out that this weather was like something right out of a movie set on the high seas. This comment struck me. While I had been focusing on how cold and wet I was, I had failed to see the upside of this weather. Sure a balmy, sunny day would have been nice—but wasn’t this a real adventure? My perspective turned around completely, and others also began to see the day in a more positive light too.

With this new frame of mind, the rest of the trip was truly fantastic. The wind that had previously sent chills through me was exhilarating. I stood right at the edge of the schooner so that there was a greater chance that I would feel the salt spray of each wave that smashed against the side of the boat. The rain continued to pour down in torrents, but it was refreshing to feel it dripping off the tip of my nose. It was great fun to navigate the deck while striving to stay on my feet, grabbing onto whatever support was within reach as the boat rocked about.

At one point, as we were changing the direction of the sails, the boat was on a 45-degree angle. The rope slacked, and the mighty boom of the sail swung across with explosive energy, threatening to wipe out anyone who dared obstruct its path. As I was grasping one of the ropes with all my might, I lost my footing and found myself in somewhat of a sitting position on the deck. It wasn’t really all that different from standing because of the orientation of the boat, and it was thrilling to experience the occasional wave that dared to venture on deck as we heaved the rope to secure the sail.

Romans 5:3 tells us that we are to rejoice in our trials. When we are faced with hardship, we must remember to keep the right outlook, or else we will get bogged down and lose sight of the big picture. Our trials are given to us to help us grow and become stronger. We have to embrace the adversities that are thrown our way and really make the most of them.

It can be easy to get in a negative mind-set even in little everyday situations when things don’t go the way we would like them too. Perhaps you are about to go out for a ride on your bicycle only to find that there is a puncture in your tire. Why not just go for a walk and take the opportunity to stop and appreciate the finer details of God’s miraculous creation? Or perhaps your favorite meal is not available when you go out to a restaurant with your family. See it as a chance to branch out and try something new. Offer the chef your help!

The day out on the tempestuous waves helped me see that when you find yourself in a situation that isn’t ideal, you have to remember that your outlook makes all the difference—and that it is possible to rejoice even when things aren’t necessarily smooth sailing.