LIVING IN SUSPENSE
The best stories are full of suspense. What will happen to
the hero? How will he or she survive the maze of issues
— the complex problems — the uncertain, worrying
circumstances? Somehow, we know that in the end all will work
out — even if the hero must crash, this too is a
solution. In the meantime, we enjoy the suspense.
Similarly, we need to enjoy the suspense in our lives. Such
suspense adds flavor to our everyday, to the staircase we
climb as we work to improve ourselves. Clambering, from step
to step, rung to rung, can be tedious — and tedious
living leads to despair, to death. However, when we face
challenges, when we struggle — we do more — are
more — live more — have more.
A challenge is only a challenge when it is a true challenge.
A struggle is only a struggle when it is a real struggle. And
so our problems come into being...
Still, we can appreciate the suspense, we can value our
problems, we can enjoy them. And when we do just this, we
turn them over and ride them — like donkeys, like
horses — to our next victory.
SUFFERING
"Why do I suffer? Surely, I am good — far, far better
than many others I know?"
You suffer, my friend, because you are so good...
Once, a rich father needed to emigrate, taking only his ten
sons with him. This meant leaving his comfortable mansion and
many servants behind. "Who will cook for us?" he worried,
"Only one of my sons knows how to prepare food, and he has a
terrible temper. If his brothers anger him, he will not cook
for them at all."
And so the father bought large pots — for, as we know
— you cannot cook small quantities in large pots. This
solved his problem.
In the same way, while we may be good people, blameless
people, all fine — our brothers are not all fine
— our community is not all fine — our people are
not all fine. Their conduct, their lifestyle, lacks much. How
can we help them then? By praying for them. And how may we
remember to pray for them? By feeling the hurt ourselves
— by suffering.
