Learning

Its been awhile. :)

Christmas and New Years have come and gone. We have been so blessed to have my mom and brother here visiting with us for the Holidays. I enjoyed so much having some good talks with my mom and seeing how little I really know my little brother anymore. He's grown up so much. I love my family and am so blessed to have them in my life. They are leaving actually today...and while I should be writing about the adventures we have had...I read something SO encouraging today that I would like to share with you. Its from my devotional called Streams in the Desert. My mom in law gave it to me for my birthday. :)

It starts with this verse: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

It then goes to tell a story of a man who found a bottle-necked cacoon and kept it for over a year waiting for the emperor moth to emerge! One morning he found that the moth was emerging but was struggling to make it through the bottle-neck. The moth would get stuck at the same point every time. The man "thought the confining fibers were probably drier and and less elastic that if the cacoon had been left all winter in its native habitat." Having reached the end of his patience he thought he would help it along and got a pair of pointed scissors and snipped the threads to make the exit just a bit easier.

"Immediately and with perfect ease, my moth crawled out, dragging a huge swollen body and little shriveled wings! I watched in vain to see the marvelous process of expansion in which these wings would silently and swiftly develop before my eyes. I looked for my moth, one of the loveliest of its kind, to appear in all its perfect beauty. But I looked in vain. My misplaced tenderness had proved to be its ruin. The moth suffered an aborted life, crawling painfully through its brief existence instead of flying through the air on rainbow wings."

This is such a neat story to me...especially when watching with tearful eyes those who were struggleing with sorrow, suffering and distress. My tendency would be to quickly alleviate the discipline and bring deliverance. BUT who am I to say that one of these pains or groans should be relieved?

"The farsighted, perfect love that seeks the perfection of its object does not weakly shrink away from present, momentary suffering. Our Father's love is too steadfast to be weak. Becasue He loves His children, He disciplines us that we may share in his holiness. (Heb. 12:10). With this glorious purpose in sight, He does not relieve our crying. Made perfect through suffereing, we children of God are disciplined to make us brought to glory through much tribulation."

I think its hard to imagine God allowing or even intending to bring us suffering...even if its all for our glory and perfection. I am so saddened by my friends sadness and suffering...I pray that I have the right attitude of prayer for them...no quick fixes...just that they are able to "suffer well." I pray God's strength surrounds them as they look to the only one who can provide for them in this time of need.