FOCUS on Suffering and endurance

From: Missy Sent: 19/04/2006 16:34
Thanks for sharing personal stories Elaine and Gilly. Im really pleased you feel comfortable enough to do so here. It says a lot.

Im sure God has it all in hand, as Elaine says there is always light at the end of the tunnel. I know in some situations that is difficult to see but it is there. Asking others to pray for or with you is a big help too. Seeing what some go through certainly makes my troubles look petite, there is always someone worse off than ourselves.

Gilly, remembering your mam in my prayers.


MISSY.

From: Gilly Sent: 19/04/2006 00:14
Thanks Elaine for sharing.
I know of course, as we have talked about your suffering, and it has been really tough for you many times, but your faith, your always relying on God to help you through has paid enormous benefits and blessings to so many others as well.

Now me, I'm a whinger, as some of you here know. If I suffer I do it loudly! I moan to everyone who hangs round long enough to listen ..lol...but thankfully my suffering is usually minor, coughs colds, sneezes and aches and pains of age, and short lived....thats not to say I haven't been through deep suffering and as so often happens, it seems to be never ending, one thing after another. It's at times like this I tend to suffer in silence which is not recommended....I let my feelings out only to God.....but He reminds me to take it to my trusted Christian friends and colleagues eventually.
I do of course take all my sufferings, especially the emotional suffering to God, but I do get a bit angry with him.
I remember though one time of great suffering, when for about 3 years everything in my life seemed to be falling apart and many in my immediate family died. It really seemed to me that I was going through a Spiritual attack.
It was God who had to suffer most of my whinging, but I have to say He knows how much I love Him, so I 'sounded off' to Him, asking Him didn't he really feel I'd been through enough and could He find a way of putting a stop to all that was being sent my way.

I paced the floor, I cried and let Him know I was at the end of my tether. I had lost my first grandson, my first grandaughter was born with cerebral palsy and was deaf, my father died, my brother died, my best friend died, my favourite uncle died...I had only just got over grieving the end of a happy 24 year marriage....and the part I found the hardest in my suffering was that I always was needed and considered to be the strong one, the one to give comfort to everyone else, and all I wanted was for just someone in my family to recognise I was hurting and grieving too. But God knew in His wisdom that I was the one who was better placed to bring words of comfort and hope to my loved ones at that hard time for them too. That period was very difficult to endure and it was my Christian friends I turned to to help me through, and their prayers.
I had to be strong for my daughter when her first baby was stillborn, I had to be strong for my other daughter as her baby was born prematurely with cerbral palsy and no hearing, and as a new single grandmother my heart was breaking.
I had to be strong for my mother when my father died a year later, I had to be strong for her again when my brother died a year later, and the following year when my mothers only brother died, I had to be strong for her again.......please keep my mum in your prayers as she had such a tremendous loss....her grandson, husband, son and brother all in 3 years, and she is now terminally sick herself.
But as well as permitting me to bring all my sufferings and prayers to Him, God was gracious, and His response always comforting. He had given me wonderful Christian friends who were a tower of strength to me, and through the many years I had to endure, I set my hope that God still had plans for me, to prosper me and I knew He still had work for me to do.
Yes God always brings the good out of our sufferings. I thought I was a pretty good counsellor before my suffering, but afterwards when I had endured, I felt I was able to have a much greater empathy and deeper understanding with my clients because I had been through so much of their sufferings myself.
Hope remains and a strength is given to endure for those who put their trust in the Lord and keep Him close in their prayers as they are suffering. I doubt I would have endured and remained so strong and better equipped if I had not had my faith.

Please, if any of you are suffering, I would ask you please don't suffer alone. If you are a Christian He will guide you to those who can help. Talk to someone you trust who will listen. A trouble shared is a trouble halfed, and I recommend you always take all your suffering to God. He provided for me all the strength I needed to endure. I know he forgives me for all the moaning and groaning and whinging I did. I think He was glad I took all my suffering to Him, because He was the one who took my suffering away. and sustained me and strengthened me....and He blessed me also with a sense of humour and that I have to say was invaluable in helping me to endure. Laughter can be a wonderful medicene for you.
Gilly x

From: Dunggate Sent: 18/04/2006 16:56
Hi Gilly, you asked:
Are there any positive aspects redeemed in our suffering or endurance?
We all go through some sort of pain or the other in life physical, emotional etc., it is inevitable.
Without going into lengthy detail, my 17year marriage to an abusive alcoholic I termed as suffering. In the beginning I used to say but Lord, I was happy in my ignorance lol, I can honestly say hand on heart I learned much from my experiences and if I had the opportunity to go back and be without all that I would say no.... for I have gained a closer relationship with God through the trials. My children also will acknowledge they have gained through their experiences, painful as they were. I know I am blessed as a Christian that my faith in Him has strengthened and sustained me, I know that even the times when I felt where are you God, when I cried out to Him he answered me. His word "I will never leave you nor forsake you" have been my comfort. Reading the word of God, many times he drew me to a passage that spoke to me and into my situation. I know I have triumphed, taking hold of the scripture "We are more than conquerors, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
There is power in the word of God to us, but we cannot read the bible as a novel or history book it is alive and our daily bread, our healing. This is our source of strength. We may be going through physical pain or even terminal illness, the latter my daughter experienced and she took hold of God's word where Abraham believed God and it was counted as righteous, we can praise God for her healing of the cancer scare she had. We may not be healed physically, nevertheless there is a healing that we need in our spirit also.
I have chronic arthritic pain, so this too I am dealing with, but misery is optional! So we may be in pain but we don't need to be miserable, ok there are times I do not feel much like joking and laughing, but the scriptures tell me "a Merry heart doeth good like a medicine." We need to remember...
"The joy of the Lord is our strength" in times of pain too! When we feel like giving up He will give us strength to carry on.
Being a Christian do not mean we lead a charmed life where we face no problems.
But, I would encourage anyone who are facing trials at this moment, to take hold of God. There may be times you are in too much pain or tired to pray, he hears the faintest help whisper, he reads your heart.

Where I live when travelling by train to the City....there is a mountain where we go through a tunnel,....... there is a curve in the tunnel, when you are half way through and look behind, all is dark, you look ahead and the same, all is dark, but just round that bend you see a light at the end of that tunnel.......and so it will be for you,..... many times I have travelled that tunnel in life and it wasn't on a train to the City.

I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:5)
If I make my bed in the depths you are there(Psm 139: 8)
When I say I am slipping, your love supported me (Psm 94 : 18)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13)
If Christ is for me who can be against me (Romans 8:31)
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:37)
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to {His} purpose.(Romans 8:28)
I pray these few scriptures that I have posted which has helped me will be of a help and comfort to you.
Love in Jesus Elaine.

From: Dunggate Sent: 10/04/2006 22:27
There is a lot in here to think about Gilly. I will come back to your post. Usually I find it best to speak from my own experiences so need to get my thoughts together to reply.

Just letting you know I am not ignoring your FOCUS thread
Elaine.
From: Missy Sent: 11/04/2006 17:12
I think what we've went through in the past makes us who we are today.

I dont think God ever leaves us although it may at times feel like he has.

MISSY.

From: Gilly (Original Message) Sent: 10/04/2006 16:10
Suffering and endurance impacts all our lives at sometime or another......sometimes the suffering is not too severe and we may only have to endure it for a short while. Other times it can seem too overwhelming to endure.
How does suffering impact our lives? How can we endure intolerable physical or emotional pain?
Where is God when we are suffering? Do we turn to Him or from Him at our greatest time of need?
What words of comfort, strength or reassurance can God's Word give me in my suffering?
Is God the cause of our suffering?
Should we suffer alone or in silence?
These are just some of the many questions asked when we are hurting, including, can we triumph through our adversities?
Are there any positive aspects redeemed in our suffering or endurance?
Look forward to hearing your comments and a good discussion.....but please remember to be sensitive to the feelings of those who may be suffering right now.....and who may be seeking reassurance.
Lord we pray that your your gentle, tender, healing touch be felt in the hearts of all those hurting right now. Amen

The Book of Job gives us a good insight into the heart of suffering and endurance. Some other Scriptural references I have found invaluable....
Romans 8 v 28-29
Isaiah 55v8-9
Psalm 23 v 3-4
Job 19 v 26
Joel 2 v2-25
Gen 18 v18-25
Gilly

From: Gilly Sent: 09/04/2006 14:01
suffering and endurance

Gilly