I am a firm believer in celebrating the joy of living. My wife marvels at all my annual commemorations and celebrations, beyond birthdays, holidays and anniversaries.
I also believe everybody suffers. No exemptions. No exceptions. Ask anybody; they’ve suffered. Ask any unbeliever or believer. Ask yourself. We’ve all suffered and we’re all going to suffer.
I don’t understand “why,” so, I will not even attempt an explanation. But here is what I believe and what I have experienced. God is not offering us answers for our sufferings, but He is offering redemption of our sufferings. His offer is to irrigate the rivers of adversity and grief to create a well-watered garden that bears unexpected, supernatural, life-giving fruit.
Furthermore, He promises to use suffering to bless us with the fulfillment of the purposes for which we were created.
Our choice is not between suffering and not suffering. Life itself produces suffering. The choice before each of us is whether we will trust God to use suffering to enrich the life we have, or whether we will consider suffering random and meaningless. The former bears the fruit of hope and security – even in the midst of suffering. The latter yields the thistles of fear and desperation. In my view, the better choice is clear.
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