The Power of Suffering
"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." - Romans 5:3-5 Romans 5:3-5 is a verse I have been working with a lot lately. It was the focal point for a study I just finished entitled "Looking for Lovely" by Annie F. Downs. If you have not read anything she has written, I recommend you try her. Suffering. I don't know about you, but it seems to me there is a tremendous amount of this going on. Parents with sick children. Spouses losing their partner to illness and death. A pretty bleak picture of crime, anger, and violence in our world. We are bombarded with it every day. Faced with devastating suffering, what do people typically do? The "bit