Right Between the Eyes

 . . . or maybe in the solar plexus.  I was reading my devotions this morning and this really hit me. The Scripture is John 12:27-28.

:. . . what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? 

But for this purpose I came to this hour, 'Father, glorify Your name.'"

The commentary:

We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to accept and receive ourselves in its fires.  If we try to evade sorrow, refusing to deal with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life, and there is no use in saying it should not be. Sin, sorrow, and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them.

Sorrow removes a great deal of a person's shallowness, but it does not always make that person better.

I think that when we see friends and family members suffering, we do two things. First, we try to make them feel better. Second, we try to figure it how it happened so we can help them avoid it in the future.

But what if it's all part of God's plan -- a plan that says we will all be better for having been in His presence, for having allowed Him to carry us in our sorrows? It is through adversity that we grow and become stronger in our faith.

Are there people who miss this? Absolutely.  The commentary also speaks to those who do not receive the sorrow in a manner consistent with what we know about God's love. They remain crippled, unable to help others or even themselves.

People who have suffered, and come out the other side with their faith intact, are equipped to nurture and nourish others. That is the beauty of the suffering.