My sister was in a very bad car accident in 2020 and had many devastating injuries to her body. The most severe injuries were not obvious to the eye, as they involved her brain and neck. She experienced debilitating neurological symptoms and extreme pain for years. Many times, she would lie awake in her bed, in such extreme agony, unable to imagine how she could continue living. It was a very difficult time of extreme suffering. 

In 2 Corinthians chapter 1, Paul writes of suffering and the benefits that can come from suffering, if we keep our focus on Christ. Paul is referring to the suffering the early church endured for the sake of the gospel, but the message is clear. When believers suffer, we have the opportunity to derive benefit from our trials and tribulations. When we focus on Christ in our suffering, we begin to focus on our internal condition rather than our external circumstances. Our focus turns towards our eternal existence rather than this temporal life on Earth. When we cry out to Jesus in our pain, He comforts us. Then, a beautiful display of God‘s mercy and grace manifests in our lives and we begin to positively affect others who are also suffering. Jesus gives our pain a purpose!

So, what happened to my sister? Through her suffering, she has drawn closer to the Lord than ever before. Her relationship with Jesus is more intimate and real than she ever experienced before in her lifelong Christian walk. The lessons she’s learned and the wisdom that she’s grown in have propelled her into a life of compassion and boldness for the suffering of the downtrodden. Though the enemy has schemed to kill, steal and destroy her, God has turned it all for her good. Yes, she still battles in her body due to the injuries from the accident, but she knows her complete and total healing is on the way. Here are a few things she has shared with me:

 “It’s not a matter of IF we will suffer, but HOW we suffer that’s most important.”  “God meets you in your suffering because suffering is lonely. When you are lonely and suffering it’s quiet and it’s just you and God.” 

“I trust God not because I understand but because it is impossible for me to understand His ways.”

“Everyone is going to suffer some way in this life. No one else can truly take the burden of another’s suffering. It is your decision to trust God through the suffering or let it devour you and destroy you.”

Be encouraged and take heart as Jesus said in John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulations and distress and suffering, but be of good cheer, [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted], I have overcome the world.”