Okay, so I opened a can of worms by opening my blog to reveal my confusion about God’s will being interrupted by human and/or demonic agents.

That led to a reminder about how closely God holds us, and even if our activity gets stopped our relationship with Creator remains unchanged.

Well, now I am reminded about suffering and persecution being good for our spiritual character.

cross“Now that we have God’s approval by faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. Through Christ we can approach God and stand in his favor. So we brag because of our confidence that we will receive glory from God. But that’s not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance, endurance creates character, and character creates confidence. We’re not ashamed to have this confidence, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:1-5 God’s Word).

Now, having my call and ministry ripped away from me has given Jesus a chance to work some work with me, one of God’s want-to-be-willing workers.

Okay, so I’ll brag that Paraclete revealed my true gift and function, something I always was and did, but now I am conscious of it and can name it.

I did find a new and deeper peace, though it took years and great pain and anguish, with me sometimes breaking the peace with my anger, hurt and confusion.

Again not easily done or quickly learned, Paraclete led me into that most bizarre of all prayers, praying for those who caused, or watched, the suffering. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you this: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. In this way you show that you are children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:43-45a God’s Word).

And I am blogging, something that did not cross my mind at all before. Not only have I crossed international boundaries, but I have entered a community in blogland which has brought me much spiritual delight.

Okay, so I have learned a little more endurance, and have more confidence in my Friend, Jesus. Notice I skipped character, because while I am a character, I sense my spiritual character is more a demolition site than a construction zone.

So that’s what suffering is good for.

But at times I still wish I was back where I belonged…