Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them:
but Love cannot cease to will their removal.
C.S.Lewis, The Problem of Pain
Volkov Yefim, October
A jarring
It jars with me that suffering is talked about as a means of transformation. Much suffering is not transformative but debilitating, degrading and damaging. It can and does wreak destruction in families for generations. Suffering often just produces more suffering.
Inner reflection
Although I rail at the damage done to people, I have seen the work of inner reflection producing transformation through suffering. I wonder if it is the suffering itself or our God given ability to face pain (through an act of His grace?) and allow it to turn into a new beginning. ‘Turning all things to good’ is indeed a divine ability. We all face pain and all have to dig deep to turn this to good, but I give myself leave to question the premise still. I have not faced a fraction of the kind of pain some people face and so leave this as a not totally answered question.
Finding deep grace
But for me, for today, I ask Jesus to give me this grace, to take the petty rejections, slights, disappointments I face today and recognise the hurt they give me. I take them to you for comfort, healing, transformation and the finding of the deep grace and freedom of forgiveness.
Kirsty Hook