Is there anyone who asks God for suffering? That’s a little different from seeing it coming, knowing that if you follow God you will suffer. Even then, we hope to avoid it. But through suffering, we grow in our faith and share the gospel. Through a recent illness of an infant grandson, (he suffered physically, for me is was emotional anguish) God gave me the strength to ask to see God’s blessing in and through this experience and praise him. Not my strength, but his provision. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Colossians 1:24-25 (The Message)
I want you to know how glad I am that it’s me sitting here in this jail and not you. There’s a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church’s part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God’s way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth.
Colossians 1:24-25 (The Message)
I want you to know how glad I am that it’s me sitting here in this jail and not you. There’s a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church’s part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God’s way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth.
Kathleen S Evenhouse 