The Good Things About Suffering

In the backyard are plants that this spring and summer will put out abundant blooms- more than every before. The reason is that last fall I dug them out of the ground, dropped them to get the soil off them then took a shovel and bringing it down very hard cut the plant in two. If anyone were looking at this they'd think I was destroying it. On the contrary the action will make it much more beautiful, strengthen its inner being and assure its ongoing fruitfulness.

Life is like that- exactly like that. It is strange what suffering begets. It begets beautiful music, heart moving poems. It begets more fruit in the fruit trees, more flowers and quieter spirits. It burns away the nonsense and brings about purity. It makes young people grow up and turns children (some who are in adult bodies) into mature people. It produces books which speak to the heart.

In this time of proliferation of speakers on leadership (seems like there are more all the time) and the abundance of social commentators, I have tuned most of them out. This may sounds extreme but I am coming to believe (it has been quite a journey) that the only ones who have anything worth listening to are those who have suffered. Those who have lived through pain and sorrow have much to say. The interesting thing is that they actually talk very little. What they do say tends to be apples of gold, wisdom hammered out in life's difficulties.

The well known Bible Teacher, G. Campbell Morgan, was on vacation with his wife in New Hampshire. They went to church. On the way home Campbell remarked to his wife, "Well that was a good sermon by that young pastor." His wife remarked, "It was okay. But it will be a lot better when he has suffered a little." I believe Mrs. Campbell was right!