Dealing with Times of Pain and Suffering

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, Who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you surely, and strengthen and settle you. I Peter 5:10.  

Wait on the Lord, be of good courage. And He shall strengthen your heart, wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalm 27:14   

For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity. Proverbs 24:16 

Life has its down times, its times of pain and suffering.  I often think of those times in my life where I was burdened with uncertainty, sadness, and pain as endurance tests.

The older I get, the more I have learned that the less I give in to those emotions that accompany those difficult times, and try to keep calm, and keep my wits about me, sometimes taking it hour by hour, not just day by day, the better I fare.  The less awful the situation actually is for me.  I have learned to hone in on my bag of coping skills at such times also. 

And, my faith gives me hope!  And courage and comfort and love!  I can endure such hard times with God in my heart and by my side.  My daily prayers become a source of strength! 

My 97 year old Mother has set a great example for my 9 siblings and me in difficult times. She has very strong faith, the gift of acceptance and even stoicism. She often says, "It is what it is, you cannot change it".  Maya Angelou, the beloved American poet also said, "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." 

Prayer: Father God, source of all love and mercy and strength, thank you for sustaining me during my times of pain and suffering. Thank you for delivering me from those afflictions.  You are eternal hope and love.  I shall continue to grow strong and serene by your grace. Help me to trust you daily and to allow you to be in control. 

Connie Barry