One of my favorite quotes comes from a member of the Martin handcart company (Francis Webster) in response to the sufferings they endured. "The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin handcart company." John Groberg said, "There is a connection between heaven and earth. Finding that connection gives meaning to everything, including death. Missing it makes everything meaningless, including life."
Because of the experiences of others, I feel as though I have come to understand suffering in a unique way. I have not survived illness or overcome major adversity. But I have held the hand of those who suffer. I have stroked their hair, kept them company, and considered it an honor to walk with them as they walk a difficult journey. I don't know when my time will come...my time to suffer, my time to learn, my time to die. But I am grateful for what I have come to know through others' sufferings.
I know that Heavenly Father lives, He loves us, and He knows us by name. He sees the parts of us we try to keep hidden and yet He asks us to "come unto Him." We are never alone in this journey. He will walk with us, if we let Him. One of my favorite poems:
FootprintsOne night a man had a dream. He dreamed He was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from His life. For each scene He noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonging to Him and the other to the LORD. When the last scene of His life flashed before Him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of His life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of His life. This really bothered Him and He questioned the LORD about it. LORD you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me. The LORD replied, my precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.
"Great men are made so by great suffering." I read that in a book once and it is true. As we suffer, earned or unearned, we change. We gain compassion and wisdom. It has always fascinated me that the Buddha did not become who he was until after he had seen suffering. It was his quest to understand why there is disease, poverty, and death that led to his eventual enlightenment. One of the greatest gifts of our Savior is that there is an end to such suffering, an end to poverty, an end to death. Without understanding that, Groberg is right, even life is meaningless. The entire point of the Savior's parable of the good Samaritan taught us to look beyond ourselves, see others' suffering, and take responsibility to lift such a burden where able and know our limits and who else to bring that person to for ultimate healing. While your suffering may be from personal heartbreak or the inability to immediately heal those around you, it is real and I believe that all those things you do (like holding a hand or stroking hair) is, in fact, exactly what the good Samaritan did. 'Go and do likewise' and so we shall.
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