In the midst of suffering

We can't choose circumstances. Sometimes we can, but other times we realize that we can't. It might sound elementary, but as a Christian, we sometimes expect everything to turn out wonderful and great, and if it doesn't then we surely should be able, by the grace of God to get our of that situation. Jesus paid the price for us to escape didn't he?

If we do not find a way out, then it means we do not have enough faith or strength (which is already provided by Jesus on the cross) for us to overcome the situation, right?

The other way of looking at it -suffering, that is,  is to see that it is God causing the suffering... That he somehow has a hand in it and does not liberate us from it for some or the other reason. We might then conclude that God is trying to teach us something.

I have found that both of theses and neither of these provide the right answer, nor do any of these reasonings provide me with peace or rest in my heart.

It seems that suffering is inevitable in this life, we have to accept it. The reason for why that is so, is not as important as what we do with the suffering we are experiencing. The worst thing you and I can do is to try fight against it without accepting it and first and praising God in the midst of it. Let me explain:

The more I find myself trying to escape my suffering, the less joy and peace I have. It decreases in direct correlation with the amount of effort I put into trying to reduce it. But once I realized that I can have the same joy in the suffering as what I have in the wonderful times, that changes everything. Now it is no longer a battle trying to get free, but to see that the escape is right here.

If I am in this situation, and I have tried to get out, and cannot get out, then God is aware that I am here, that I can't escape and He is ok with my circumstances. He knows where I am and knows I cannot get out, and doesn't expect me to either...

Think of Paul being captured and being put in a deep dark dungeon. He knows he can do nothing to escape. He probably asked God a few times to set him free, but after a while He gave up on asking and accepted it and instead reverted to Praising God. Praising God has the equivalent satisfaction as being set free, perhaps even more so. So Paul, could in the dungeon, still praise God and enter into his lovingkindness despite the external circumstances. The external circumstances will take care of themselves. God is still there and fully able to release you at the blink of an eye, but we need to see that the release is to stop looking to the outside of our cage and to look to the inside where God is standing right beside us.

The more we focus on "trying" to get free, the more we will miss the joy that has always been right here. If we think we can only have peace, prosperity and freedom when everything is going great, we will only find it in the great going times, what a shame. We miss out on the fact that we can have it all the time. Perhaps God is gracious in allowing suffering to make us let go of trying to find joy and freedom in fleeting places and point us to the eternal, never-ending well of his loving spirit.

The key for me is letting go of trying to change things and circumstances. I do not have control over it, and neither am I supposed to. Once this is realized, I am free to find peace in suffering and know that God is right here and is inviting me into his glorious presence right now and right here.