Finished reading Job this morning. As I watched this guy go from a “blessed” life of ease and abundance, to intense suffering, to well-meaning-but-not-helpful friends, to frustrated venting to God, to God’s are-you-serious? response, to Job falling on his face in worship, I found myself faced with a question:
Is it possible to have character built without suffering?
Looking back on my life, I am having a hard time finding a time when I have truly grown apart from an event – or season – of struggle. Seems like pain always plays a vital role. Sometimes that’s suffering I deserve. The result of paths chosen. Other times the suffering is random – or even unjust in my own estimation.
And yet it’s there. Pain. Suffering. The result is almost always character strengthened, faith expanded, and gratefulness for God’s restoration.
What has been your experience with pain and suffering?
I lost my husband to bone cancer when I was only twenty two years of age —It was a very sad and painful timne for me; but I learned a lot from the whole experience.
Like you, I discovered I grow more during the hard times. I wrote this poem one week following his death as I was pondering my own thoughts and feelings and examining my heart. I realized that through it all God was there by our side and I learned that He is faithful even when things don’t turn out the way we had wanted. This was my very first poem and I consider it a gift from God as it helped me to deal with my sorrow to write even more than crying.
MY LIFE
If I could say the things I feel,
the world would be so wise;
for I have known great heights of joy
and lived in “Paradise”.
I’ve walked the street that’s called “despair”.
I’ve wished that I could die,
But, I have found that all is well
when God is by my side.
By Vonda Powell Smith
Ha… just blogged about this subject this morning – love it when that happens. My husband forwarded me your site. We met you at Pine Lake Covenant when you spoke there last. Thanks – I will be checking in.