Suffering

And that Pattern upon your soul Has the signature of God.

Hafiz, I Heard God Laughing

          Why do we suffer so much?  Do we think that somehow parlayed grief and pain will make us more holy, more acceptable to God?  I know that some people believe this but I believe that on the other hand, that “there cannot be a Law in the Universe which demands evil, lack, limitation and the experience of unhappiness to provide shades to magnify Its glory.”  It would seem a contradiction in terms to think that wholeness is dependent upon unhappiness.  Besides, who needs a God that demands human suffering when we are so good at inflicting this upon ourselves?

          Pain is a part of the human condition, and often it comes without warning.  It can be difficult to control the pain that comes with death, loss and private feelings of betrayal, but we can control our responses to the unwanted intrusions into our well-being.

          Soul-trying times are our opportunities to dig more deeply into our spiritual practices.  Prayer is always at hand, and we can contact others to engage in prayer for us when we aren’t thinking clearly.  Suffering, however, is another layer of pain we sometimes add on when we forget our spiritual natures.  This, too, can be healed, but it takes a special willingness on our part.

The Divinity within us is our true life.  It cannot be otherwise.  It leads us; it trails us; it holds us in the arms of spiritual love as we willingly release all pain to the presence of the God within us for healing.