Suffering...
Doesn't
this one word speak volumes? Its simple definition is succinct: Suffering is the state of undergoing pain,
distress, loss, or hardship.
Frankly
put, suffering sucks!
This
has been the one blog that I've resisted. With each letter I've known almost
immediately what I wanted to write about (and the same held true for
"S"), but I knew that when it came to this topic…well, it wasn’t
going to be easy.
Within
the last few weeks life has held some pretty hard things – One of my favorite
childhood friends lost her 14-year-old son in a car collision. Another friend
lost her husband in a freak motorcycle accident. My next door neighbor has
struggled for over 4 years with a chronic and intensely painful infection.
Another set of neighbors is divorcing. This list could go on… and I haven’t
even begun to mention the chaos in our country or the world!!
Anyway,
when two unusual things happened this past week I knew the Lord was gently
nudging me to push on with this blog. The first thing involved a movie entitled,
“The
Insanity of God.” I was invited to go see it, however I had no idea of
the movie’s title and/or what it was about! My friend had invited me to go, and
I said “Sure!” I had no idea what I was walking into!
This
film featured Nik and Ruth Ripken, two missionaries who while serving in Kenya,
Africa, faced not only the death of their son but also the intense testing of
their faith. Taken around the world, viewers examine not only what Nik
witnessed in Somalia, but also the experiences of certain persecuted believers
from China, the Middle East, and the post-Soviet World. Ultimately what the Ripken’s
discovered was that “…the church not only
survives under persecution, but it thrives!” Trey Reynolds, manager of
LifeWay films.
You can also download the movie and
watch it!! You won’t regret it!!
The
second push came from my new favorite Netflix show called, The Tudors. This 2010 Showtime
series provides an interesting (albeit liberal) look at the life and many loves
of the English King, Henry VIII.
One
of my favorite characters is Henry’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Catherine
is portrayed as a very spiritual woman, and it is her relationship with God
that carries her through the rejection and abandonment of her husband, the
King.
In
one particular scene, Queen Catherine is asked whether she would prefer
happiness or sorrow. She quickly answers, “Sorrow,” and then explains that “…whilst
one is happy he often forgets his great need for God. But when one walks in
sorrow, God is always near.” This poor woman walked through so
much brokenness, yet she never lost her faith.
The Lord is close to the
brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18
Although
I haven’t suffered beatings, imprisonment, or abandonment I have certainly
tasted some morsels of suffering throughout my own life. One of the hardest times
for me personally was while I was working at a preschool in Allen, TX.
I
was a pre-school aide in one of the 3-year-old classrooms. I loved my job. I
loved the kids. I loved the ladies I worked with. I was faithful to pray for
them and often felt called to do so. So, I shouldn’t have been surprised when
the enemy sent an accusing “giant” into my midst to stop those prayers!
To
make a long story short, there was a CPS situation in one of the 4-year-old
classrooms. We were told to not discuss it and/or to even ask questions. I
completely complied and never strived to find out what had happened. However a
few weeks later at lunch, when the aide from that particular 4’s class began to
expound on the situation, my heart quickly went out to her. I remember saying,
“I’m so sorry! I had no idea what you were going through.”
I
guess my comment either offended her or she was panicked over what she’d
shared, because she went back to her classroom and told her lead teacher that I
had called her a liar. Soon after, I was called into the director’s office to
explain. I was shocked by the allegations and deeply saddened because that was not
my heart or even my thinking toward her or the situation at all! I didn’t
realize that my innocent words had been twisted into something ugly.
I
quickly asked for the director’s permission to go to “Leisha” and her lead
teacher to apologize. The director gave me her full support and even said that
she knew that’s what I’d want to do. Sadly, I should have had her go with me
because I was walking into a hornet’s nest and didn’t have a clue!
Needless
to say, I was told off by the lead teacher (and quite loudly!) while “Leisha”
stood over in the corner cowering. Looking back, I’ve come to believe that
“Leisha” stood away from the confrontation because she knew that she
was the one who’d crossed the line. Not me. She knew that she could have been
in major trouble for sharing so openly about the CPS situation at lunch. Unfortunately
I was too dumbstruck by the accusations to explain what had really happened. And as
a result, “Leisha” got away with it and I became an easy scapegoat. I believe
that if I hadn’t been taken so off guard that I would’ve been able to defend
myself better. But sadly “Leisha” was seen as the “hero” calling out the “preschool
gossip.” The
worst part was that she told others her version of the “truth” and they believed
her. Ladies that I loved and considered friends were now treating me like a pariah…all
because of a lie.
The
Lord made it very clear to me that I was to remain silent. For me, this was torture. I wanted to defend myself sooooo bad. I wanted to shout
from the rooftops what had really happened – that all I had done was give her
support! But I was not given the freedom to do so. The Lord asked me to lay
down my reputation…
“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also
suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO
COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being
reviled, He did no revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats,
but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously”
(1 Peter 2:21-23).
And
you know what? It sucked. But sometimes following Jesus means that we’ll suffer
even when we’ve done nothing wrong. “The
greatest honor for any Christian is to be like Jesus. When we suffer
unjustly, we share a tiny portion of
what happened to Him.” Quote taken from pg. 70 in the book, “Countdown
to the Apocalypse” by Robert Jeffress.
Compared
to cancer or the loss of a loved one, this trial seems pretty trivial. But to
a people pleaser (and insecure girl like me who wants everyone to like her)
this season was really tough. Yet the Lord was with me. Despite the sickening, “pit-in-my-stomach”
feeling I had every time I walked into that preschool ,the Lord showed up in some sweet, unusual way. He would send someone or something each and
every day to encourage me to rest in Him. And
this too did pass…
The
closing question in “The Insanity of God” is also a huge challenge. Is Christ
Worth It?
Is Christ worth giving up your comforts? Your time? Your job
security? Your finances? Your blood, sweat, and tears? Or like me, your reputation?
"Dear friends, don’t be
surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange
were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for
these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you
will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the
world " (1 Peter
4:12-13).
Is Christ worth it? Absolutely He is!
See Also:
·
2 Corinthians 12:5 – God's grace is
sufficient!
·
Philippians 1:6 – God’s goal is
to make us like Christ!
·
Philippians 4:12 – We can handle
anything with Jesus!
·
James 1:2-4 – In the end we
will be thankful!
·
1 Peter 1:6-7 – Through trials, our faith will
produce praise, glory and honor!
