Participating In Suffering

Today I visited a little girl dying of cancer. Her body was disfigured by her disease and its treatment. She was in constant pain. As I entered her room, I was overcome by her suffering, which seemed unjust, unfair, unreasonable. Even more overpowering was the presence of her grandmother lying in bed beside her with her huge body embracing this precious eight-year-old.

I stood in awe, knowing I was on holy ground. I will never forget the great, gentle arms of this grandmother. She never spoke but simply held her granddaughter, participating in suffering that she could not relieve. No words could express the magnitude of her love.

 — Leonard Sweet, Postmodern Pilgrims 
(Broadman & Holman, 2000)

He was There All Along

A tribe of Native Americans had a unique practice for training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, he was blindfolded and taken miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the midst of thick woods. He had to stay there all night by himself.

Every time a twig snapped, he probably visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. Every time an animal howled, he imagined a wolf leaping out of the darkness. Every time the wind blew, he wondered what more sinister sound it masked.

After what seemed like an eternity, the first rays of sunlight lightened the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he saw the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was the boy’s father, who had been there all night long.

Likewise, God is always present with us in our trials. His presence is unseen, but it is more real than life itself.

 — Leonard Sweet, 
SoulSalsa (Zondervan, 2000)