Suffering

It never amazes me which of my blogs gain the most comments. Recently, it was my blog on Physical Therapy.

In that blog, I listed a dozen things that were posted on the wall in my physical therapist’s office. They included:

Dozen Rules to Live By

1. Live God-Centered
2. Love People and Build Relationships
3. Create Remarkable Experiences Through Exceptional Service
4. Promote Growth and Embrace Change
5. Be Generous
6. Pursue Excellence
7. Be Efficient
8. Act with Honesty and Integrity
9. Stay Humble
10. Utilize Strengths and Passions
11. Encourage Autonomy, Innovation, and Clarity
12. Be Transparent

Jesus Suffered

Jesus lived the perfect life. He never did anything to deserve the pain and suffering of being crucified—crucified by hanging on the cross, the most painful execution ever devised by man at that point in time. It was painful and humiliating. In the Bible, God requires payment for sin. The most sinless man alive was Christ, and yet he suffered the full humiliation of crucifixion. Neither the Bible nor Christ ever promised that we would not experience pain or suffering. In fact, quite the opposite; they indicate that suffering will always be part of life. It is our job to suffer without blaming those around us.

Suffering is a part of life. It is those who go through life blaming others for their suffering who miss out on a big part of life. My suffering through liver disease is simply part of life’s suffering. While I was suffering through my disease, my General Practitioner lost his wife. He was left with four young children. Which of us suffered more?

Three of my friends and I travel north each year to play golf together. I have liver disease, one of my friends has cancer, one has Parkinson’s, and one suffers from heart disease (though he may be the healthiest of the four of us). Which one of us suffers more? My definition of friendship is worrying about my buddies regardless of what I may be suffering. Each of us feels the same pain, and that is what makes us great friends.