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Angie_Rivas1
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| Joined: | Wed Oct 11th, 2006 |
| Location: | Downey, USA |
| Posts: | 110 |
| First Name: | Angie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Feb 6th, 2007 02:39 am |
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A couple of weeks ago, one of the readings was about God's discipline (Hebrews 12:3-12). I thought about my journey, my deep suffering and constant struggle to understand why I had to be the one going through a divorce. "Why me? What have I done to deserve such a punishment, I kept asking the Lord. I've been trying to be good since I was a young girl. Those were some of my old thoughts. Back then, I did not comprehend what the Lord was doing with me. He was guiding me to Him. He was teaching me to rely on Him only. I had to go through all of this painful experience for me to discover a merciful, loving father. There are still questions in my heart and answers about the future that I do not have, but I am truly trusting in Him. I wonder, though, is the Lord still disciplining me? When the Lord disciplines one of His children, how long does it last? How do you know when it's over? I have peace in my life. Is it a sign that the Lord is done training me?
Angie
____________________
"Be not afraid" JPII
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David W. Emery
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 1715 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Feb 6th, 2007 09:50 am |
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What a profound insight, Angie. Over the past couple of months, I have seen you beginning to “move on” after your divorce.
First, suffering is not really a divine punishment, as if he were angry and wanted to destroy us. Biblically, any suffering is the direct or indirect consequence of sin (see Genesis 3:14–18). So it is, in the end, we humans, and not God, who impose the suffering. Sometimes it is the result of our own sins, and sometimes it is the result of the sins of others. But we need to be wise enough to avoid blaming people in our own life, so I suggest that we just recognize that sin is the cause of all suffering and let it go at that.
That said, there are times when it seems that the Almighty is trying to get our attention. Life may seem oppressive even when we do not perceive any sin close at hand. There can be several reasons for this.
First, and most commonly, God is pointing out to us that there are still sins in our past (or present!) that need expiating, even if we do not recognize them. These are our “hidden” sins — hidden in the sense that we have refused to recognize them as sins, or that we have chosen not to think about them, or that perhaps we have not even learned are sins.
Second, a person who has achieved some degree of sanctity in his own life may in fact be suffering from the sins of others. This may take place directly, by being a victim of the other person’s sin, or indirectly, by God placing the burden upon us to help others expiate their own sins.
Third, sometimes God wants us to receive a period of suffering in order to bring us to a higher level of sanctity. This is what is known as the dark night of the soul. In it, we are purged of our faults and imperfections. Here it is not actually sin, but mere human limitations, that God is working on. In great part, this involves a voluntary acceptance by the soul, because it wants so much to join itself to God that it will gladly endure whatever it takes for this to come about.
When the Lord disciplines one of His children, how long does it last? How do you know when it's over?
It will last as long as necessary, or as long as God sees it as useful. Sometimes a person will reject everything that God sends, and eventually God will break off and “give him up” to his sins. But most people, when they suffer, recognize that they need to change. The question is, how much effort will the person put into self-reform? Many, sadly, give up after only a few days or weeks of feeble effort, and thus lose any benefit God may have had in mind. But some people, again, really do turn their lives around; these are the ones who experience conversion. True conversion is a miracle of grace put in motion by our own full cooperation.
I have peace in my life. Is it a sign that the Lord is done training me?
That peace is a sign that your recent ordeal is over, and that you have done well. The Lord is letting you rest. Later on, he will return to ask you to follow him more closely, and you will experience more suffering if you accept. But to refuse — that is the mystery of iniquity, and believe it or not, it always brings on far more misery than taking up our cross and following Jesus, because it always involves sin. As you indicate, trusting in God is the proper approach to life. We cannot become better if we do not accept and trust the Good and Perfect One into the depths of our soul.
There are still questions in my heart and answers about the future that I do not have.
Yes, and there always will be until we enter heaven. This is the lot of creaturely life. We are not God, that we should have all the answers. By trusting in God and allowing him to lead us, we have peace, and this is enough. He will guide you, just as he guides all the saints, to his heavenly banquet. The beatific vision will give you all.
David
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