"More
than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces
endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and
hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5 RSV)
One
of the ambiguous gifts of our suffering (and they are ambiguous: they are
gifts, and we would never have chosen them) is that it enlarges our
perspective. Petty complaints we had
seem unimportant. People with whom we thought we had nothing in common become
special friends. Vocational prowess
drops down on the list of our life's priorities; relationships are what matter.
At
the same time that we feel more profoundly and gratefully connected to friends
and family, we have a sense that all of us dwell in mystery, that we are
connected to earth and sky, to the rhythms of the universe, to the whole range
of living things in ways we do not understand.
Maybe
I can relinquish my "white knuckle" grip on life, and trust that all
will be well.
--
Martha Whitmore Hickman in Healing After Loss
#3526
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