You Suffering Matters

Think about something that bothers you. Is it your stomach? Is it your schedule? Is it your ex, your friends, or your family? Is it that one hair that never seems to fall in to place? Is it your job?

Maybe it is something deeper than that.

Is it loneliness? Is it anger? Is it desperation? Is it envy? Is it heartbreak?

We all have something that is hurting us. Every single person is experiencing some form of struggle, and whether it is an emotional or physical pain, it is part of their life. Behind all of the smiles and jokes, there is a child struggling to find their place.

At some point, you just start to accept that  something sucks. You know that your heart has been broken, or that you are now allergic to your favorite food, or your grades are not quite what you expected them to be. It is easy to handle each little thing, but as these struggles start to pile up, the story changes.

At its Worst

How about those days when everything seems to go wrong? What about those days when you cannot get anything right? Your car breaks down, you wore your shirt backwards, and you left your keys in your room. You find out your friends were talking about you behind your back, and your crush suddenly finds love...somewhere else of course.

You try to cope, but as the events start to pile up, you get crushed.

It is in these times where we feel the most abandoned. No one seems to understand why we are so upset about the little thing we tell them about. We sit in our rooms, fuming because of the misinterpretation of the world. Angry, hurt, and lost.

And it does not seem to be getting any better.

So you tell yourself that if you just keep doing what you are supposed to that it will all get better. If you study harder, your classes will get easier. If you work harder, you will be able to make more money and your coworkers will respect you more. If you live more fully, then your heart will heal and you won't have to be alone anymore.

But you are still alone.

You are still struggling.

And no one understands.

Does it really matter? All of our pain, all of our sorrow, all of our anger...does any of it really make a difference in the world? Why are people dying of diseases like Alzheimer's? Why is cancer still a thing? Why are more and more mental illnesses being diagnosed? Why do we feel pain?

It all seems worthless.

It isn't.

Someone Else Felt Your Pain

In the first century AD, there was a poor man. He worked with his hands until they were raw. Then one day, he went out to preach. Because of his kind words and good works, many people followed him. They came in massive crowds from all over the land.

Then one day, the man started to preach about more difficult things. He was not a "feel good" person anymore, and his followers did not like him anymore. After one short exchange, thousands left his presence. Only twelve remained. They were not cool, nor were they all too bright.

The people that did not like the man decided to get rid of him. But because they were jealous people, they decided to humiliate him in the process. Instead of being treated like any other citizen, they mocked him like a slave and gave him a cruel punishment.

The kind man who worked hard his entire life was forced to carry a giant cross and be hung upon it.

Pain

Rejection

Loss

It all came to this man, a man who did not deserve it. He deserved all of the friends in the world, and he deserved a comfortable life. He should have been a king.

He chose this instead

It was this man's pain that saved the world. He felt everything that we have felt. His arms were sore. His father passed away. His friends left him. He was misunderstood, hated, and lonely. No matter what we feel, he has felt it before. Jesus Christ knows everything, not just by knowledge itself, but by the wisdom of experience.

Your Pain Matters

"It is the cross that tells you that your pain matters." ~Fr. John Simms Baker

God's Son got on the Cross that day because He loved you. Something I have always wondered is if the salvation of the world would have been possible had Jesus not died in this humiliating manner. Also, would anyone have cared if Jesus had been rich and then was put to death?

I don't think so.

Jesus lived a common life. People could relate to Him. That, and He was not just some fake public figure who had a government to run or a social circle to worry about. Jesus was a regular guy who seemed to have everything go wrong all the time. Every single bad day we have, Jesus had for the majority of His life.

Despite all of that Jesus endured

He willingly said, "I love you."

And He died.

People noticed that about Jesus. Regardless of what suffering was present, Jesus was able to come and take it away. Each little malady was taken away, each lonely woman found comfort, everything imaginable was healed.

Even death on a cross.

The Most Important Work You'll Ever Do

When we undergo pain and heartache, we have the opportunity to act as Christ did. We live through the struggle and show love. By showing a certain level of grace, despite the struggle, allows the light of the world to come. When we come to someone else, crying because we cannot take it anymore, beauty is made visible.

Suffering gives love an opportunity to come in.

And when love comes, Heaven is seen.

Souls are saved.

You may not feel it right now, but your struggles are saving souls. Your smile to the girls who can't seem to hold it together may remind them that God does love them. Your ability to stand up, even though your ankle is sprained, shows the world that you can find strength.

And each person that comes to your aid allows for a little bit of Heaven to shine through to all who witness their actions and to you as you go through each day.

Fight the good fight.

Do not feel like you have to fight alone.

For your cross, and those who carry it with you, is what allows us to join Jesus in the salvation of the world.