"You can't call yourself a Christian - one of Christ's - and live trying to make wide circles around pain." (Ann Voskamp, aholyexperience.com)He calls us into suffering, Who also suffered.
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. (1Peter 2:21)I have run from pain. Plotted and planned and built up walls and wisdom to keep me from hurt. I have ignored the obvious and searched for escapes and lied and cried and outright disobeyed bytimes, just to save myself from fear and the dark and weakness and the tension that winds through it all.
But He Who suffered has cornered me here. Caught me alone in the dark and left me with nowhere to run, and truth has overtaken my lies and forced open my eyes. And after all, He does expect us to walk like this, straight into hurt that feels like harm.
Here I learn to love Him, who first loved me. Here I learn to lay down my own heart on His. If I would learn His love, I must know this face of it, which is willingness to suffer.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)He is worth it all. I will lean the weight of my heavy, hurt heart on that truth. I will go forward with him, into the dark and the hurt. I will have that love that was wounded, and heals.
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 43:5)
