Pain

Andrea asked in an earlier post why a good God allows so much suffering.

The simple answer is that suffering seems required. When Jesus died for us, the confessions include that He suffered for us. Not just died, but suffered. When the Disciples are flogged for preaching the word, they rejoice that they were counted worthy to suffer for Him,(Acts 6:41). This is not a simple topic.

First, some thoughts about pain. Pain should be our friend.

Pain, a Friend

Pain comes to you,
as a friend.
To warn you,
of danger.

A friend you,
don’t want.
A friend you’d,
like to leave.

When pain is silent,
not a good friend.
Awful disaster,
may overrun.

Like a good friend,
pain talks to us.
Warns us of danger,
keeps us from death.

©Presbypoet, March 21, 2001

So is pain a good thing? In the right place it clearly is good. When you break your arm, if it didn't hurt, you would try to do things that would do more damage if you didn't feel pain. Yet pain can come not as a friend, but as a jailer. Do we know what we suffer?

An important aspect of pain and suffering is how we respond. When the storms of life assail, what do we do? This next poem offers a suggestion.

In Your Suffering find Joy

I offer gift of suffering.
Gift of unending trials.
Wilderness journeys.
Pain, loss and sorrow.
Cup offered James & John.
Martyrdom’s blessing.
Sending you to valley
shadowed by death.

You think suffering evil.
You don’t understand.
You demand release.
Escape from torment.
You don’t trust Me
in your wilderness.
Like Peter you must
step into your storm.

See Me in your suffering.
Feel Me in your suffering.
Know Me in your suffering.
Understand My plan.
Know I came
to suffer for you.
Know I came
to die for you.

In your suffering
be transformed.
A grain of wheat must die.
Must die to produce life.
Learn to trust Me
in your suffering.
In your suffering
find My joyful life.
John 12:23-27)
©Presbypoet, September 8, 2002, revised May 25, 2003

I know this is a hard topic. Do these poems help you understand?