Jan 11

“Consequently, your own life becomes the hospital ward where you are taught the divine art of comfort. You WILL be wounded so that in the binding up of your wounds by The Great Physician, you may learn how to render first aid to the wounded everywhere.”

-Streams in the Desert

The thought that came to mind when reading this was a little kid falling and getting hurt on the playground at recess. This is one of the most devastating things that could happen to a kid. You walk to the nurse’s office with your head drooping and your spirits crushed. You look out the window and watch your classmates screaming and laughing while the nurse cleans your cut and can’t help but feel unlucky.

I relate my own “cuts and bruises” to the feeling that this little kid during recess time has. But God, why me? Out of all the times to happen, why did it have to be now? But I’m going to miss out on the fun they’re having.

The verse that comes to mind when asking myself the question “why would God allow me to suffer?” is Romans 5:3-5

 “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

When I’m looking suffering head on, it’s so tempting to want out of it. That makes sense, I mean why would anyone want to suffer? But that verse makes it so clear that what suffering produces in our lives is so valuable. My suffering is not to make me feel left out or less important, my suffering is to bring me face to face with my Savior. When I think of who is cleaning my wounds, I am reminded of how blessed I am to suffer!