Suffering

Last night I watched the most heart wrenching film with the Jasper family sharing their personal tragedy of the passing of their five year old son in an accident. Never have I cried through so much of film for the story was so painful. But even though this true story is terribly sad, the film powerfully shows that there is hope in the midst of great loss and sorrow. The Jasper family lovingly shares their true story of hope in the midst of personal tragedy on their Flame On website.

http://www.flameon.net/

Today the Lord lead me to read several chapters of Mike Mason's book "The Gospel According to Job - An Honest Look At Pain and Doubt From the Life of the One Who Lost Everything". Mason writes succinctly and powerfully with a spiritual depthness that is simply stunning. Here Mason writes about Christians suffering:

As believers we will continue to suffer - that is to experience evil firsthand - since in worldly terms we are no better than anyone else. Indeed we are worst off, for does it not follow that those who love their Creator will feel the brunt of the fallen creation even more painfully than those who do not love Him?

Becoming a Christian, far from reducing the normal hardships of life or the demands made upon us as human beings, actually increases them. God's gift of grace does not in this sense make life easier.

True, the Christian life is not without its privileges, even in worldly terms. But essentially our growth in Christ happens not by being lifted above the level of the world but rather by being immersed more and more deeply in it. What we are involved in is not a process of divinization, but of increasing humanization, for the way we become like God is by becoming more human - more of what He created us to be.

....the more saintly a person becomes, the more closely he or she will be identified with the common lot of suffering humanity. Job is a great saint not because he is in any way superhuman, but because he is himself.

Though I've not experienced a personal tragedy of losing a child, or cancer or debilitating disease or chronic pain, severe poverty, spousal abuse, rape....or anything as horrible, my heart is very tender for God has shown me some of the worst, heartbreaking situations through my years as a pediatric nurse as well as through studying history and through people He has placed in my life. Indeed comfort and hope can only be found in Christ and through His revealed Word to those who Trust in Him.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7