Much like my friend, Angie, I have been thinking about what suffering truly means. (Be sure to read both parts of the suffering posts, by the way.)
The pain that I deal with every day feels like suffering. The fact that, right now, I have no leg and can't do the things I want feels like suffering. It is. It is suffering that is sovereignly placed in my life by a loving God.
Dear friends are preparing for the funeral of their much loved, much prayed for infant daughter.
I don't know that kind of suffering.
I don't understand that kind of suffering.
When we found out about their sweet baby, Gracen told me that she didn't understand. Why did little Mercy die?
Telling my child I don't know, I don't understand is both the hardest thing to do (because I'm the parent and I want to be able to answer her questions) and it is one of the sweetest.
In that moment, neither of us understanding, I have the awesome privilege of telling her what I did understand. I do know that Mercy lived exactly as long as God ordained for her to live and that her life was no less significant, no less glorifying to God than someone who lived much longer. I knew that she was loved and prayed for by her biological family and her covenant church family. I knew that her life impacted all of us.
I hope that, more often than not, I encourage Gracen not to look for understanding but to trust. To trust that, no matter what kind of suffering she goes through, God is using it in her life--and that He will hold her through it.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
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2 comments:
Thank you for sharing this post. The "trust" theme has come up with several discussions in our college Sunday school class. They want to know why certain things happen. I've told them that the answer is always original sin. God never intended for bad things to happen to his children. The question is - what are we going to do about it? How are we going to let it affect us? You are teaching Gracen a life long lesson and I'm so thankful for your reminder that we are to trust.
Hey Dana. It's funny.....after I wrote those posts, several days later, I was thinking about you. I was reminded of you after reading on a caring bridge site about a young girl with cancer in her leg. It made me think about your diagnosis all those years ago and you and what your parents must have suffered and gone through.
I've been spending way too much time lately trying to figure God out. Instead he just wants me to trust. Thanks for this post.
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