I spent some time today speaking today with a friend who has undergone immense trouble recently.
I am not sure what she was like before her pain,..but she is sure an amazing woman now.
Fearless.
Impetuous.
Refreshingly honest.
Tender.
Godly.
Hysterically funny.
Compassionate.
Lit flat up for God.
You know that phrase "what doesn't kill ya will make you stronger"?
Well,..I don't always agree with it.
I can think of some who aren't stronger because of the terrible things they've endured.
No judgement from me in their regards,...but I take issue with the assumption that pain always strengthens.
Does pain change everyone?
Yep.
That I would agree with 100%.
God pretty much guarantees His followers pain.
"Count on it" He says. (too many scriptures to list)
I'm sure His disciples thought to themselves the same thing I have grappled with even today.
What kind of crazy plan is that?
God wants me to be more like Him but part of that process is to....hurt?
I don't know about you,...but I really don't remember that being part of my alter call. Maybe they explained it to me but "Taking up my cross" didn't mean much to me at 15 years old.
I'm going to start actively teaching my daughters and teenagers at church differently.
Hopefully, I will embrace the idea even as I recoil from it.
God-followers are refined in a variety of ways,..but nothing has purified me like the pain.
Monday, August 2, 2010
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1 comment:
You always give me something to chew on. :) Love that.
As I was walking through cancer, I began to experience the pain in a whole new way. I began to see that part of the reason God allows this is because we come to see the sacrifice of Jesus through different eyes. We see what He gave up, what He endured, for us. We see the great love that it must have taken to endure that pain all for someone else's benefit. We grow deeper. I think this is the meat that Paul speaks of.
I didn't know this was what I was biting off when I said I wanted more of Him. Sometimes I still question if the pain is what I want...But I KNOW more of Him is what I want. I KNOW He is worth it. I KNOW I'll look back on my life one day and never regret anything I had to lay down to press into Him. But I don't like the pain either...
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