I once thought of suffering as painful, dark, dreary, hurtful and anything but sacred. But somewhere along the way my suffering became sacred. Dont get me wrong…….the pain was still there, but there was also something greater than the distress. Ponder for a few minutes how you feel both emotionally and physically when you are in the middle of hard things. Our bodies respond to sickness, sadness and injury in an effort to heal us and relieve suffering. Tears release endorphins and oxytocin that help relieve emotional and physical distress. An Adreniline Rush is our bodies way of responding to pain or stress by heightening our abilities in what you may know as fight or flight. Suffering certainly isn’t pleasant. Grieving can drain our energy and even cause us to become ill. Severe suffering can bring on feelings of worthlessness.
On Sunday in my church meeting I heard the story of Job from the Old Testament who suffered greatly. For a period of time he felt that God had forgotten him. In years past I felt the same way. I have since then (through sincere and humble prayer) come to feel the comforting and strengthening spirit of the Holy Ghost. My most difficult suffering has become sacred to me because….during those times I have drawn closer to my Heavenly Father and felt His love and strength through the power of the Holy Ghost greater than any other time in my life. That divine help makes it possible for me to endure what ever hardship I am going through.
Calling upon God through prayer, having Faith that He can strengthen and comfort you during challenging times can bring you peace as you wait for better days. I know this is true. I have felt the comfort of the Holy Ghost. I know that suffering refines us and is for our benefit and a part of mortal life. God will not always remove the cause of our pain but He will always send the strength to endure if we humbly ask Him. In closing I wish to share the words from Elder D. Todd Christofferson: “No matter what our mortal experience may entail we can trust God and find joy in Him.”
Turn to God and Find Peace and Strength
by Tanya Christiansen