The other day while having lunch with my other friend…we got off on the subject of suffering. He explained that he never could understand the reason for suffering until he had this epiphany:
“For me when I was suffering I took it as something to be avoided; so, I compensated by eating anything that wouldn't eat me back.
Once it got through my brain that "everybody" suffers and that Jesus, Mary, Peter, Paul, Timothy, Luke, John, Bartholomew, (everybody) suffered; I decided that suffering wasn't to be avoided; but tolerated.
This connection made it easier for me to quit covering up my suffering by eating and therefore I felt better physically, mentally…and I didn't have to diet.
In other words overeating for me was compensating for suffering which can't be avoided.”
Most of us try to avoid or minimize suffering by using some form of distraction; drugs, food, sex …whatever. I had to agree whole heartedly. I find myself in front of the refrigerator during times of stress. From an academic or purely theoretical standpoint I have understood about suffering for a long time. Jesus came to suffer and show us the way to do it. My problem is in the follow-through. When my feet hurt after a long day or my bad knee acts up I tend to grumble, whine or pule, “Why me?”…then I reach for the bag of jelly-beans hidden in my truck. I need to work on the grin and bear it, suck it up and smile part. I suspect suffering without smiling gains me no points. So I need to learn how to offer it up with a smile.
Dear Lord Jesus, please give me the strength and courage to put a smile on my face and keep my hand out of the jelly-beans when suffering comes my way. Thank you for a friend to have lunch with. And, Lord, thanks for listening and have a nice day.
Amen.
11/22/2008
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