Suffering

I know it might be strange to write on this topic just after posting about how much fun I'm having with friends. But I think the two go hand-in-hand. Relationships are an incredible part of God's plan for our lives, but suffering is too.

I know I've written tidbits on this before, but I thought I'd post about it again. I've heard and read so much about suffering in the past few days. It's kind of crazy, but I think God is trying to teach me something.

I've kind of gone through life with the perspective that suffering is bad. Pain isn't good, right? Or is it?

I guess I'm just seeing more and more how small of an understanding I have of God. I see suffering all around me. On Sunday night, we were at the boys' home for ministry. Clint was teaching about the Fall of man in Genesis 3, and the guys were furious.

"How can God be so good when my life has been the crap hole it's been?"

Yeah, they didn't use the best language, but honestly, I think that is because of how deeply they've been wounded in their short lives. Many of these guys are fatherless. They've been told their whole lives that they are failures. That they are worthless. And so they act on it. And they wind up in juvenile detention centers and places like this boys' home. Some of these guys have told me that they have terrible nightmares at night because of the things they've experienced. They hate sleeping because it's such a terrifying experience.

I felt like weeping.

And then one of Clint's friends who are missionaries overseas in Africa just lost their baby girl this past week. It was so sudden. So abrupt. They didn't really even know she was sick until a few weeks ago. I know the pain must be so intense for them right now.

Again, I felt like weeping.

Why does God allow so much suffering? Why do teenage boys fear sleeping at night? Why do babies die before they've really even had a chance to live? Why? Why, why why????

And then I'm reminded of the truth of God's Word. He sees the bigger picture. We don't. He is working all things for good. We can't see that. He does ALL things well. He is breaking us to heal us.

If I as a finite human being want to weep over suffering in the world, including my own, how much more does God? He sees it all. It must break His heart so, so deeply.

I heard this amazing song as I was writing this, and I wanted to post the lyrics, because I feel like it portrays so well the emotions we often feel in regards to suffering.

You Do All Things Well
Tenth Avenue North

Father in Heaven, hear this simple prayer
Get us through the night and fill up our despair
Pain has come and taught us to fear
We’re gonna need some grace now to fill the air
‘Cause in the twilight, we need eyes to see
How You’re working beauty even out of ugly things

You do all things
You do all things
You do all things well
You do all things
You do all things
You do all things well

Father, among us, keep us in Your arms
There’s evil all around us and we’re trying to hold on
Just to know that You’re still good
And that Your love is alive
Oh, let us cling to Jesus and sing tonight

You do all things
You do all things
You do all things well
You do all things
You do all things
You do all things well

You break me to bind me
You hurt me, Lord, to heal me
You cut me to touch me
You died to revive me
You break me to bind me
You hurt me, Lord, to heal me
You cut me to touch me
You died to revive me

You do all things
You do all things
You do all things well
You do all things
You do all things
You do all things well