Yes, we are raw. Yes, we are in the dark belly of a whale. Yes, we ache. Who can be Jesus’ “little sunbeam” at such a time? Would Jesus even want such a thing? He is after much more than happiness in our lives. He is after a sustaining joy and He will give us that joy by giving us Himself, whether through the small gifts of life that bring us gladness or through the dark night of suffering. Sweeping affliction under the rug of our heart, therefore, is simple denial, an act of cowardice, and act of ungratefulness. We must dare to look it square in the eyes. ~ Ben Palpant
writingonmyheart 
Jesus suffered for me. I think he is very aware of suffering. I’d never minimize His trials and pains so why would I deny my own? Instead I imitate the Suffering Servant and pick up my cross and follow.
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That is such a good point, Val. I did not think of that but it is true. Our pains are real. It does not make sense to pretend to have a courage or a faith we don’t have. God wants us to be open and honest with Him, hiding nothing, and only then, can we accept His graces for our crosses.
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We lay all things at the feet of Jesus…our every pain, every hurt, every affliction. In life, the winds sometimes blow softly, like a sweet song of summer. At other times, we are knocked to the ground with a brutal hurricane force wind. Life is all these things, and Jesus knows our hearts…our every heart string. Our hearts play their music whether it be a raging storm around us, or within us. In life, we experience every emotion and God understands that. That is why we come to the foot of the cross each day. Our souls must be continuously filled with both compassion for ourselves and for others. Only love can do that. Only love can bear the pain, and only love can bring us joy.
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And yet, we sometimes stay away. I realised that there are times when even to admit we are struggling is hard for some of us. There is shame, there is fear, there is pride. In the end, it hurts us.
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Yes. It is a struggle…
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