Rethink Happy by Doug Kisgen

Author:Doug Kisgen [Kisgen, Doug]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781630477356
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing

Chapter 32

THE TRUTH ABOUT SUFFERING #1

When we arrived back at the Sisters’ house, they hugged us and thanked us for joining them. Then they wished us well and actually broke into song as we got into Camino’s car. It seemed a bit too out-of-this-world for me, and I was still trying to process what had happened that night at Esther’s house. If I’d been an emotional guy, I might’ve been moved to tears at their beautiful singing. They seemed so loving and real. And sincerely at peace despite their self-induced suffering.

“Okay, Camino, so you’ve gotta help me with this,” I started as soon as he backed out of the driveway. “I mean, how can suffering be good? I seriously don’t get it.” I realized I’d hardly allowed the car doors to shut before bombarding him with questions, but my mind couldn’t wait.

“Well, Cleve, let’s start by comparing pleasure to pain in worldly terms,” Camino said. “The grief one suffers at the loss of a child surely outweighs the joy at that same child’s birth. Loss gives us more pain than pleasure gives us joy.”

“Uh, okay, I think I’m with you so far, but what does that have to do with those nuns?” I was practically begging for answers.

“The affliction of sickness far exceeds the pleasure of health,” Camino continued. “An insult wounds us more than honor flatters us. Nature dispenses joys and sorrows so unequally that the latter affects us more powerfully than the former. This demonstrates the delusiveness of worldly happiness.”

“You’re losing me now,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t usually have to think this much.” I chuckled, but quieted when I realized Camino hadn’t joined me.

“Your inability to understand how suffering can be good is a result of looking at the situation from the eyes of the world instead of the eyes of heaven,” Camino said. “To the world, suffering is bad. To God, rightly intended and ordered, suffering can actually be good. Of course it isn’t God who is causing our suffering. He simply allows it to happen so that we will derive a greater good from it. For instance, we can convert our setbacks into prayer, which can be incredibly powerful. In fact, prayer is our greatest weapon on earth.”

“Cleve, life isn’t about how much money you make or how fast you grow your business,” Camino went on. “It isn’t about how beautiful your wife is or how big your house is. It’s about love, and the gift of self. It’s about focusing on what really matters and remembering we are children of God.”

Most of what he was saying was still going over my head, but I tried to make sense of it all. How could suffering and pain be good? I’d always equated pleasure with good, pain with bad. It’s that simple, right? Seek pleasure; avoid pain.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.