{"id":1815,"date":"2015-09-27T17:08:49","date_gmt":"2015-09-27T17:08:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1815"},"modified":"2015-09-27T17:08:53","modified_gmt":"2015-09-27T17:08:53","slug":"embrace-your-suffering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1815","title":{"rendered":"Embrace Your Suffering"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"154466_10202066123198396_1716524886_n\"<\/a>Going through some journals this morning I came across an old article in the newspaper from Dr. Laura Schlessinger. I know why I kept it as we have similar views on embracing suffering. I want to share some of her wisdom to encourage us. <\/p>\n

She had a radio program where callers would call in for advice. This particular caller said she was having trouble making a decision. Laura replied, \u201cIs the problem really in knowing the right thing to do, or is it that the right thing to do is so difficult or painful?\u201d The caller\u2019s dilemma was choosing between doing the right thing or giving up her fiance\u2019. She said that was easier said than done and she did not want to suffer. <\/p>\n

Laura explained without suffering, she couldn\u2019t accomplish her goal of being noble, brave or righteous. Without suffering, you can\u2019t become more than human. And right now you are only focusing on the suffering, not on what you\u2019ll attain through it. <\/p>\n

At this point you\u2019re actually causing yourself more pain by not accepting the correctness of your decision and by not embracing your suffering which ultimately supports that decision. <\/p>\n

\u201cOpen your arms and get busy with the task of suffering through this.\u201d <\/p>\n

At the end of the call the woman seemed a lot more calm and focused. Somehow, accepting that the suffering was part of the garden of life, not an intruder into an otherwise perfect field of flowers, made it easier for her to accept and appreciate how the garden grows. <\/p>\n

Looking for suffering is a sign of mental disturbance. Intentionally causing others to suffer is evil. But accepting the reality of suffering as an integral part of the struggle of life gives one strength, resolve, and even purpose. <\/p>\n

Life affords us a miraculous opportunity for creativity, joy, and love. But these are not the only ways to find meaning and purpose. It is through our response to suffering that we sometimes plumb the greatest depths so that we can eventually soar to the greatest heights of what is potentially human. <\/p>\n

In embracing our suffering, we have the opportunity to conquer our fears and weaknesses and ultimately find new ways to bring something important to the world. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Going through some journals this morning I came across an old article in the newspaper from Dr. Laura Schlessinger. I know why I kept it as we have similar views on embracing suffering. I want to share some of her wisdom to encourage us. She had a radio program where callers would call in for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":51,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=51","url_meta":{"origin":1815,"position":0},"title":"A Timeless Message","author":"admin","date":"January 28, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Only trust Him, only trust him, only trust Him now, He will save you, He will save you, He will save you now.\" As I stood at the foot of my mother-in-law's bed in the ICU singing this song God put on my heart, I didn't know it would be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family"","block_context":{"text":"Family","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/Ida-Travis-thumbnail-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":106,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=106","url_meta":{"origin":1815,"position":1},"title":"A Woman to Remember","author":"admin","date":"February 1, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Col. 1:24-25 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Dedications to Special Friends Lost"","block_context":{"text":"Dedications to Special Friends Lost","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=14"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/IMG_4149-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":131,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=131","url_meta":{"origin":1815,"position":2},"title":"A Faithful Friend","author":"admin","date":"March 9, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Judy was a faithful friend. She reminded me of someone like Mary that pondered and treasured up things in her heart as well as believed what the Lord had said would be accomplished. Even in the thick of the battle for her life this last week, when the Is. 53:5\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Dedications to Special Friends Lost"","block_context":{"text":"Dedications to Special Friends Lost","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=14"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/redo_carol-judy-holly.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1796,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1796","url_meta":{"origin":1815,"position":3},"title":"The Power of Your Confession","author":"hollysmith","date":"August 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I am inspired by Kenneth Hagin this morning who is now deceased since 2003. He was a word of faith healer beginning in 1935. He had a congenital deformed heart and an incurable blood disease. He was paralyzed and bedfast for 16 months at the age of 15. I want\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"Unknown-1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Unknown-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1679,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1679","url_meta":{"origin":1815,"position":4},"title":"Testing 1,2…","author":"hollysmith","date":"November 11, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi friends! I apologize for the delay in posting. It has been a month today since my accident and I can just now type. Joy is an outward sign of inward faith in the promises of God. (Tommy Newberry) My mentor used to tell me to gather pain and suffering\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"waterfall w rainbw","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/waterfall-w-rainbw-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2552,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=2552","url_meta":{"origin":1815,"position":5},"title":"Echo in the Park","author":"hollysmith","date":"July 15, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Judges 3:1-4 tells us that God left some enemies in the land in order to teach the descendants of the Israelites who had not had battle experience spiritual warfare and to see if they would obey his commands. 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