Suffering

Pain is inevitable in this world, and that's due to the broken nature of the world we live in. Over the past few months I come to really know that the Devil uses sin, death, and disease to war against the souls of God's children. It's heartbreaking yes, but I also take joy in knowing that the suffering we face in the world we live is only a reminder that this world is not our home.Heaven CAN and WILL sustain me, my friends, and my family through the hardships." Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:2-3"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you." 1 Peter 4:12"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18The glory of Heaven that awaits us is unimaginable compared to the present suffering that we face in this world. Whether it is terminal cancer, a broken relationship, or failing a college class, Heaven IS better. Suffering has always been a "foreign" concept to me. As I read through the New Testament about the suffering that New Christians faced and the persecution they endured for their faith, I always found it hard to think of my inconvenient/upsetting life circumstances as suffering. When it comes to the hardships you face at school, or when your new car breaks down, would you consider those circumstances suffering? Hardly not.However, while my circumstances may not compare to the sufferings of others around me, that doesn't mean these circumstances don't inflict pain or that they are easy to deal with. I've come to learn that my problems, my friends' problems, or the problems of the girl's I counsel cannot be compared. What hurts me, may not hurt them, or vice-versa. There is commonality between my suffering and the suffering around me though, and that is that the Devil will use that suffering to drive a wedge between us and God. So I count it joy when I face hardships, or suffering, when I face bad grades, or when my new car sits in the shop for 3.5 weeks, because when things go wrong it keeps me uncomfortable. Now I am not writing to tell you I don't get upset, or hurt, or take things easily. Let's be honest, I get frustrated frequently! But there are days, much like today, where I take joy in knowing that the bad things are a reminder that this world is not my home. I look forward with great joy to the Kingdom of Heaven, where there will be no tears, no fear of the unknown future of the challenges nursing school holds, or bad grades. The thought of Heaven sustains me.