Thursday, March 20, 2008

Suffering

I've been thinking about suffering of late. I grew up believing that all suffering (especially my own) should be prevented or alleviated. Our society seems to think that way too. We are shocked when hard things happen in our lives. I was recently listening to a Nancy Griffith song about her aunt and uncle in the Great Depression. It seems like 75 years ago, suffering was expected as a part of life. I wonder if we would cope better with the hard events of life if we just accepted that suffering will come. It will be a part of our lives more than once.

I know I already am. Last year when G&T was laid off, I really struggled. I asked myself, "Why?" I believe it was because the suffering free life I had worked so hard to create was threatened. I see now that if I will quit judging whether or not life is good by how hard or easy it is, I will be a more content person.

Now, this is not to say that we should not continue all efforts to alleviate the suffering that comes with poverty, disease, and oppression. In fact if I am more willing to suffer myself, I will probably be more willing to step out to care for others.

Just thinking and praying....

1 comment:

Lesley said...

I've been thinking much the same way, MLR. I think when we begin to accept suffering as an inevitable and necessary part of our lives, we also start to see past the suffering of others, to the wholeness within. And that enables us not only to help them but to learn from them, and to dignify them in their suffering too.