THE GIFT OF SUFFERING

Written on September 26, 2008

An important truth for me to remember today is that suffering can bring helpful blessings. In fact, suffering may be the quickest way for me to learn, or re-learn, the elementary truths of reality. I often get lost, for days and weeks, in the nightmare that life is a material phenomenon, and suffering can awaken me to the simple truth that all reality, including all power, is mental, or spiritual. Suffering is like an alarm clock that tells me it’s time to wake up – to turn away from materialism and toward an awareness of the spiritual nature of the universe. Jesus understood this. When he was preparing himself for the suffering he was going to experience during the crucifixion, one of the first things he did was give thanks to God. I can imagine him, in the midst of his fears, quietly remembering that, no matter what happens, spiritual power (which some people refer to as “God”), manifested in qualities like love, kindness, patience, and courage, has no limit and no opposition, and that it will ultimately be victorious. I can imagine a refreshing peacefulness filling his heart. No doubt it’s strange to think of being grateful for suffering. Most of us want to avoid suffering at all costs, and we flee from it at first notice. But perhaps I can be different today. Perhaps I can keep in mind that any kind of suffering is a generous gift from the universe – a gift to remind me that all is spiritual, and all is well.

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