“Why is this happening to me?” “What did I do to deserve this?” These are common questions. Even the disciples upon sawing the blind man, wanted to know the reason he was blind. Was it because of the parents’ sin or was it his sin? Jesus answered that it was neither. There was another purpose for the man’s suffering.

“The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves, is only insoluble so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word ‘love’, and look on things as if man were the center of them.”, wrote C. S. Lewis in “The Problem of Pain.” The questions we ask reveal the truth of this statement. “Why is this happening to ‘me’?” “What did ‘I’ do to deserve this?” To begin understanding the reason for pain and suffering, we must look beyond ourselves. There are many reasons for suffering. Here are a few.

1. Yes, we do suffer because of our sin. This is common to us and is why we naturally start questioning here. When we steal something and get caught, we suffer the consequences of our actions. We also suffer as a result of others’ sin. Someone may lie about us or cheat us in a business transaction. A drunk driver could drive into your lane and you suffer the pain and even the loss of life as a result. We do suffer because of sin. Jesus did too when He took our sin upon Himself. Sin hurts and destroys but Jesus brings the forgiveness of sin. Our sin and others’ sin should bring us to the Savior.

2. Another purpose God shows us for suffering is that we might have patience. The trying of our faith teaches patience and to trust the Lord. One purpose of pain could be to focus us on the Lord. We will learn more about Him and our relationship with Him as we go through trials. It will deepen our dependence. Reacting rightly to trials helps us experience a deeper intimacy with the Lord. It will strengthen our faith.

3. God gives comfort because He is the God of all comfort. Another reason we may be going through suffering is that we might experience the comfort that comes from God. Afterward we will be able to comfort others with the comfort God gives us. Knowing God’s comfort enables us to show more sympathy for others as they suffer. We can be a real encouragement to others.

4. Another purpose is that God may be glorified. Jesus answered the disciples about the blind man. He said that the man was born blind so God could be glorified. Sometimes our suffering is simply to bring glory to God. Our reaction and even how God works though it should glorify Him. It is hard to imagine this as being the only purpose but yes, it could be.

There are many reasons for suffering beyond those listed here. Whatever the reason, we must look to the Lord for His enabling grace and comfort. There is purpose. There is a reason. Keep going and trust the Lord. He is working in and through the trials of our lives. We will find the Lord to be our strength and refuge. May He be glorified even in our pain.

We don’t enjoy seeing anyone suffer but we are all touched by it. No one is excluded. Some know pain more than others but we all will hurt during our lifetime.

One day it will all be over. For the Christian, there is hope. The Lord will deal the final blow to death and suffering. Right now, God has another purpose. He is giving mankind opportunity to choose Him or to resist Him. It is a choice which a good God gives us. For those who know the Lord, we know that our bodies will deteriorate with age. Yet inwardly we can be strengthened day by day.

No, we do not like pain and suffering. It helps to know that one day it will be gone. Oh, what a day that will be. Meanwhile, the Lord will do His work in your life and in the lives of others. It may include pain and suffering but it is for a reason and only for a season. There are things we would not know about ourselves or God if we had no pain. We would not know comfort in our lives. We would not understand enabling grace. There are depths of intimacy with the Lord that would never be reached otherwise.

Recently I spoke of several things in this life that I do not like. Maybe I was complaining a bit but there are things I wish were different. How much pain do people have to go through in this life? I don’t enjoy pain or seeing people hurt. There have been events in my life which have caused me great pain. No one likes pain but, suffering is everywhere in this world. There is the expression, “no pain, no gain.” It is true in our walk with the Lord too.

The good thing is that one day there will be no more pain.  Our sufferings work for us an eternal weight of glory.

The two of us were riding horses back to our camp in the remote mountains of Wyoming. The last glimpses of the sun had disappeared leaving a glow on the low clouds. The horses were tired. We had been exploring creeks and ridges most of the day. We were about a mile from camp when I heard a scream. It sounded like a woman in great distress.

“What was that?” Every sense was immediately heightened. It was eerie. Another scream! Even the horses were nervous with their ears pointed forward. As we moved closer, the next scream sounded like it was from within our camp. “Is a woman in our camp? Has something terrible happened?” These questions were running through my mind. Whoever it was screaming, they were in fear and it was not good.

Darkness increased as we rode nearer camp. I was getting scared. I thoroughly expected to find people at our camp and someone would be dead or severely wounded. We turned the bend in the trail riding through the trees into camp. Nothing. Nobody around. Who was screaming and where were they? We had heard that a mountain lion can sometimes sound like a woman screaming. After checking things around camp, we came to the conclusion that must have been what we heard. It was the first time we had heard a mountain lion do that. It made for an interesting ride that evening.

Sometimes we have fear of things we cannot identify. Many times the fears are unfounded. I remember as a boy, taking the garbage out to the burn barrel in the dark. The barrel was away from the house on the side with no light. It was all I could do to walk out there, grope around, and start the trash on fire in the barrel, finally getting some light. I would then look around, not seeing too far with the light of the fire. I still had to go back to the house. Looking at the fire, my eyes had become accustom to the light. Then turning to back to the house, it was really dark. I had to leave the security of the firelight and get back around to the front of the house where there was light from the porch. It was a long ways or so it seemed in the dark.

I remember on one occasion, running so fast to the house that only the tips of my toes touched the ground. That fear of the dark sounds silly now. Just like the ride into camp hearing the screaming, fear produces interesting responses in us. What fears do you have? Have you ever been fearful only to find out later, there was no need to be? Fears are real and evoke real responses in us. The best fear we can have is of the Lord for that fear is the beginning of wisdom.

Good or bad, which is it? Being alone can be both. We first looked at the experience itself, then on the good of being alone. There is a negative side to being alone. Most people experience this more than the good. The dark side is what makes people afraid of isolation.

We know what it means to be lonely. There are stages in our lives where loneliness is a major characteristic. Those times can either be good or very negative. Here are some bad sides to being alone:

1. Being alone will show the discipline of your mind, heart, and soul. An undisciplined life will take alone time selfishly, lazily, and often times, sinfully. Without godly character, people can become worldly while being alone. What you do in your alone time will show your personal discipline and character. You may find out how bad you really are. I encourage people to have accountability in their life until they learn the godly disciplines of the mind, heart, and soul. Being alone can be bad for the undisciplined life.

2. Being alone is hard on the emotions. Sometimes we are thrown into isolation because of the loss of a loved one or loss of a friendship. This is when we feel the loneliness. Loneliness can be depressing. If we allow those thoughts and emotions to continue, it can affect our health. This is when we need to grab onto our Lord with our whole being. Left to itself, loneliness can bring deep depression and increased isolation. Reach out to others during these times. Allow them to minister God’s love to you. Being alone can be hard on the emotions.

3. Being alone is harmful when we get hurt. I try not to hike alone these days even though I enjoy it very much. I never know when I may fall and get injured. We need each other in life. To know we have the Lord when trouble comes is good. But to have someone come alongside with a helping hand can be a God-send. We need to reach out to others for their help, encouragement, and comfort when we are hurting. It is not good to be alone when you get hurt.

We have all experienced these things, some more than others. No matter if we are alone or not, we need to walk with the Lord. He will never leave us or forsake us. We are never truly alone. He will also help us to live a disciplined life full of good works. We will be fruitful especially in our alone time. May we use the time God gives us wisely.

There are times when I want to be like a turtle. I want to retreat into my shell and be left alone. There are other times when I want to be around people and enjoy them greatly. Most of us have experienced both feelings. The hard part is when we want one and have the other. To be alone when we desire to be with friends or family can be crushing. It is the same with being with people when we desire to be alone. Embrace the time God gives you to be alone. Enjoy the people God puts into your life. Both are important.

To be alone has become as precious as my time with people. Here are some reasons:

1. My alone time allows me to be refreshed. I rest when I am alone. For me, when I am with people, I want to give of myself for their benefit. I want to do things for them. I desire to make their lives better for me being a part of it. That takes energy and effort. Sometimes I just need to be refreshed. God gives me time to be alone for the refreshing my soul.

2. My alone time allows me to meditate. I often meditate on Scripture and doctrine. We all deal with complex issues. I find my alone time is when I evaluate, compare, study, and think through them. With the busyness of schedules, family, work, and life itself, meditation is often the last thing we do. But, it is so needed and necessary. To be a deep thinker, alone time must be priority. I like my alone time for meditation.

3. My alone time gives me opportunity to do what I enjoy. When I was a teenager in Wyoming, I would often take hikes by myself. Those were some precious times. Being alone allowed me time to think, investigate, consider and reflect. I would go places most people would not even consider going. It was during those quiet times that God worked in my heart to point me in the right directions. Being in God’s creation is a good place to meditate. I still enjoy my time alone in God’s creation.

4. My alone time gives me opportunity to study and write. Read a book. Listen to books. Study something important. It is best done without interruption. I enjoy writing too. Alone time gives you opportunity to focus on something important to you.

Does all this mean that I do not enjoy people? No, I love being with family, friends, and people. It does mean that I enjoy people and being alone. Maybe this could be an application of this verse. I have learned in whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content, Philippians 4:11b.

Yes, it is good to be alone, sometimes.

Thousands of people around you but yet, you are alone. You have no one to walk and talk with you. Some people understand what it is to be alone more than others. I grew up in Wyoming. It is the ninth largest state with the lowest population of all fifty states. It was easy to be alone. I even told someone that I may have been 10 miles from anyone in any direction of me. Yes, in Wyoming that is possible. I learned that being alone is a part of life.

Sometimes in life we are confronted with loneliness. There are periods we are alone. During these times, the promise of God becomes a great encouragement. He said that He would never leave us or forsake us. No matter where we are, God is there.

There is comfort in knowing the nearness of God. The little girl was not afraid of the lightning storm because she thought it was God taking pictures of her. God’s presence was in the storm for her. His is a presence we shall never escape in this life. We will never be separated from His love in this life. The comfort we receive from the truth of God’s nearness is the lofty experience of life. If friends or family are not close, we have our Lord. The loss of a loved one brings loneliness to our lives. We miss their presence. We all have occasions where we can feel alone, even in a crowd.

People do not like to be alone. They will seek some way to occupy themselves so they do not feel the loneliness of being alone. Whether it is being with family, friends, or entertainment of some sort, they will not allow that feeling into their life. God says to be still and know that I am God. To do that, you truly have to know what it is to be alone – to be alone with God.

Jeneen wrote a post about caregiving.  She has the gift of mercy and gives of herself for others. I asked her for permission to post it here.  I know you will enjoy her thoughts.

“Jeneen- a thought: Caregiving isn’t for sissies. You focus on your loved one. Then you are divided between the many other things and the other people in your lives. You ask the Lord for strength. You wonder if you have it in you and tempted to complain. I am reminded of our Savior who came as a servant for us. Look at what He left in Heaven even if it was temporary. He set aside the Glory in Heaven, became flesh like us, felt pain, and so much more. Do you see Him grumbling and complaining about what He gave up? He totally became a servant in love and gave up His life for you and for me. Well, that hits you right where our priorities needs to be. Sometimes we are torn between many things. There are the losses of what we once had or wished we had or want now or later, but this is only temporary. That’s life, unpredictable and sometimes hard. But it’s the way we look at it with our attitude. Letting God guide us and show us that life is about love for others. Look to Jesus, He’s been there.”

Tall tales get passed from one generation to another. In the West, several have a similar theme. Maybe you have heard the story. It usually goes like this. During the Old West era, some outlaws robbed a stagecoach. They took the strong box full of gold or gold bars. No matter what was in the box, it was a treasure. The story then goes on to tell of a posse that chased them. The outlaws were soon overtaken. There was a gun battle. The thieves were killed but they did not have the strong box or the gold.

According to the tale, one outlaw lives long enough to tell the posse that they buried the treasure. Tt was heavy and was slowing their getaway. They were going to come back to retrieve it. Before the location is revealed, the outlaw dies. Or, sometimes he just refuses to tell anyone because he still hopes to live and to retrieve it himself. He then dies before anyone can get the location from him. The posse searches for the strong box. According to the legend, it has never been found.

I know of three particular stories that follow this plotline. I have been in all three areas where the gold is rumored to be buried. I have hiked them with keen interest in the terrain. No, I have not found any of the treasure but if I have the chance to look again, I will.

There are many stories from around the world of buried, sunken, hidden, and lost treasures. Sometimes we read or hear of someone finding a cache of gold. It sparks new interest in the legends. People have spent lifetimes seeking an earthly treasure. Jesus said to lay up treasure in heaven. How many people spend a lifetime seeking heavenly treasure?

By the way, I think I have narrowed down the location one of the strong boxes. Anyone interested in hunting with me? I also know how to lay up treasure in heaven. Anyone interested?