Personal Reflections on Suffering

Not an hour ago, I was in the hospital visiting one of our members who was having a surgical procedure, one that she has had multiple times over the last 15-20 years. When I arrived, she was about to have an IV put in and she was really anxious about it. She, like my wife, does not like needles... at all. For some people, this seems trivial, for others it can be very traumatic. I am only 37 years old, but there are a few things that I am absolutely certain of. One of those is suffering is real and immanent, another is God is good.

I would be naive to try to encapsulate every thought on pain and suffering in this blog, as I don't think there are easy answers to much of what goes on in the world. Perhaps, it is because I saw the video clip I posted earlier, or perhaps it is because I have had numerous conversations with people about personal trials and suffering that I am thinking about this, but nevertheless I feel compelled to write about this topic that is way bigger than myself.

Our Monday night small group is wading through some of the tougher topics that Christians face, and the very first was wrapped up in the following statement from Lee Strobel's book, "The Case for Faith." Since evil and suffering exist, a loving God cannot. Wow, that is a big claim. I could not begin to deal adequately with the whole of this statement in a month of blogs. Really, all I can say is what I have learned in a 37 year long experiment in hardship and suffering.

Some people are arrogant in their thinking that some people cannot handle suffering because they are not strong enough or don't have enough faith. Others wear there suffering experience like a badge looking down on others because the other person's suffering cannot be real because it isn't as bad as what they have endured. Then, there are those who never seem to every leave the place of suffering and seem to like it there and set up house. Also, there are those who truly have gone through a tremendous amount of pain and grief and never seem to be shaken in their faith in God. I wish I could be found in the latter.

I guess I am no hero. I have had my share of hurt and disappointment. I have dealt with each in various ways, some in not so God-glorifying ways. I grew up in a severely dysfunctional home where I began my life with health issues. At the age of seven, my father died leaving my emotionally screwed up mom with me and three older sisters with nothing but business debts. My family has seen abuse of all kinds (some thanks to my father), a relative sense of poverty, the death of friends and family, as well as, rejection. Since I have been with my wife, we have experienced financial strain, murder of a loved one, more death of young and old alike, a miscarriage, the victimization of a financial scam, and betrayal by those we were close to. And while in the midst of all of that, even though there were few laughs or smiles, I can say on the other side with confidence that I still believe with all my heart that God is good.

I do not know a single person who has any character that did not derive it without having experienced suffering. However, sadly there is a dominant thought in the world that all suffering is always bad. I reject that notion, and I am challenged with the task of teaching my girls to suffer well. I would not be honoring God nor doing them any good in life preparation if I took away all suffering out of their lives. I believe that suffering and evil in the world is not present because God is not good, but rather because sin came into the world. (James 1:2-4)

One of the truths that sustains me when in the midst of trying experiences is knowing that none of the experiences I have will ever be as bad, as it will be glorious when I am with the Lord in eternal paradise. The Apostle John wrote this (in exile I might add):

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4)