I went to see some doctors for a cure but the more they anointed my eyes with various salves, the worse the cataracts became, until I could see no more. For four years I was deprived of eyesight, and . . . my wife Anna worked for hire. // Tobit 2:10-11
Laughter floated up to the room where I lay in bed, jabbing a needle through my embroidery. My husband and kids were spending some much-needed time together—and clearly having loads of fun without me, I grumbled internally.
Stabbing the needle through the fabric again, I suddenly caught myself. When was the last time I’d offered my suffering for them? Aside from a rushed morning offering, I hadn’t allowed the Lord into a single moment of my present difficulty. I had acknowledged the weight of it, certainly. But instead of asking God to help me lift that weight and strengthen me in love, I had let it drag me down into resentful self-pity.
My heart shifted, and I silently invited the Lord to use my suffering for good. The physical pain remained, but peace and consolation quickly flooded the space where indignation and bitterness had reigned.
Through many years of physical suffering, the Lord has taught me some extremely valuable truths; truths that Tobit and his wife also discovered as his prolonged suffering took its toll (see Tobit 2:9-14).
Suffering can either harden or soften us. It can make us bitter, or it can help us to love better.
None of us will escape suffering in this fallen world—but with God’s help, we can allow it to spiritually transform us, not tyrannize us. Love Himself entered into suffering so that through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection, suffering could be emptied of its eternally destructive power and infused with redemptive, saving power. Any suffering that the enemy has devised for our ruin, God can instead work for our own redemption and others’ salvation—if we but let Him.
With Jesus, every encounter with suffering becomes an opportunity to love like Him. With Jesus, our cross will sanctify us in this life, and become the ultimate doorway to the glory of eternal life—where we will never suffer again.
Until that day, let us pray: Jesus, help me to join every moment of my suffering to Your Cross. Grant me Your divine strength and peace in suffering. Redeem it all for my good and for others’ salvation. Amen.
Megan Hjelmstad est une épouse et une mère de hockey 24 heures sur 24, 7 jours sur 7 et une réserviste de l'armée dans ses temps « libres ». Elle adore les livres, le sommeil, le soleil et les grands espaces du Colorado. Megan aime aider les femmes à découvrir leur dignité donnée par Dieu grâce au programme de mentorat Well . Megan est un auteur contributeur de Maranatha: L'histoire de notre Sauveur et du livre de prières de dévotion de nos enfants, Rise Up . En savoir plus sur elle ici .
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