“I have
told you these things, so that in me you might have peace. In this world you
will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
-John 16:33
“I consider
that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be
revealed in us.”
- Romans 8:18
“The Lord
is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
- Psalm 34:18
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers,
whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of
your faith develops perseverance.”
- James 1:2
If people
were not meant to experience suffering, Scripture wouldn’t have as much to say
about it as it does. When faced with a difficult experience, many people’s
default question is “Why?”
Why did he have to
die?
Why did she walk out
on us?
Why can’t he just
stop?
Why wasn’t I enough?
Why didn’t I say
something when I had the chance?
Suffering
is a difficult topic to explore, because everybody feels it differently, and
everybody reacts to it differently. The only piece of advice that I’ve been
given that is universal in any kind of suffering is this:
Don’t go through it
alone.
I need you
to remind me that I’m not the only one in the world experiencing pain. I need
you to be real with me, to tell me what’s going through your head and your
heart so we can help each other out in the mere understanding that we are not
alone when we think life sucks.
I’ve always
thought it was cliché when I would hear phrases like “Love alone is worth the
fight,” because I never really understood what it meant. I think that when we
really learn to love each other, to put other people above ourselves, and to
live in community with one another, we’ll get one step closer to understanding
why seasons of life can be so difficult.
“If you have a
problem, and I love you, then that’s my problem. If you have a joy, and I love
you, that’s going to bring me joy.”
-Aaron Weiss
That is not
meant to be an easy solution to pain, or even a solution at all. Maybe it’s
just the way I’ve learned to make sense of everything. When I’m not in a very
good spot emotionally or spiritually and I share it with my older brother, he
always says, “Go help someone.” Sometimes that’s the last thing I want to hear.
Other times, it’s the only thing that brings me back to the reality that we’re
all lost and broken people seeking some sort of peace.
We need
each other to remind each other that we will never walk alone.
We need
each other to remind each other that our stories matter.
We need
each other to remind each other that we are loved
Cherished
Valued
Significant.
In the mean
time, I am encouraged because of the hope that there is for a world with no
more pain and no more suffering, and I cannot wait for the day that we all come
together as one to celebrate it.
“He will
wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or
crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
-Revelation 21:4
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