greetings again...
henri on BE SURPRISED BY JOY: "learn the discipline of being surprised NOT BY SUFFERING but BY JOY! as we grow old, there is suffering ahead of us, immense suffering, a suffering that will continue to tempt us to think that we have chosen the wrong road. but don't be surprised by pain. be surprised by joy, be surprised by the little flower that shows its beauty in the midst of a barren desert, and be surprised by the immense healing power that keeps bursting forth like springs of fresh water from the depth of our pain...with a heart trusting that we will get what we need, and a spirit always surprised by joy, we will walk through this valley of darkness performing and witnessing miracles..."
paul, in romans 8.17: "if we share in his sufferings we will also share in his glory..."
where did the idea come from that suffering is a curse and that real christians are exempt???
suffering is a blessing, not a curse...
it is to be welcomed, not to be shunned through "claiming" our way out if it...
as we embrace the suffering that God orchestrates, we grow and deepen our intimacy with Jesus...
once i asked edith, a 90+ year old saint who was dying: "when do you feel the closest to God?"
i was ready to listen and learn -- about prayer, reading the word, listening to worship music, etc...
but, without blinking an eye, edith responded: "i feel the closest to Jesus when I suffer -- he becomes the most real to me when he is all i have..."
WOW!
my prayer is that i -- and you -- may be surprised by JOY in our sufferings in 2010!
my battery is running on empty...
guy
BLESSINGS!
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