Don't waste your cancer

The link is to Pastor John Piper's website...and is a very good essay on suffering.

We pre Vatican II Catholics were often told to "offer it up", meaning to offer up our sufferings as a prayer...and that way they became a gift, since it allowed us to join our sufferings to Christ's sufferings...(Paul has a line about this, but my bible is not on ths computer...)

Alas, too often people have the "positive attitude" type, similar to the "If we don't accept evil we will not suffer" or "if we have a positive attitude we will be cured" type idea...

So their churches will have no crucifix, and even no cross, since "Crosses? we don't need no stinkin' crosses..." (Ummm...it's a pun fellahs)...

But ignoring suffering lets us ignore the suffering around us. And the idea that we can't get sick if we have a positive attitude leads to blaming the victim ..

But Pastor John points out two things: One: there is a reason this happened.
Two: Even suffering can be a gift.

When we suffer, we can let the suffering teach us to be compassionate to others who suffer.
And suffering can make us aware of the really important things in life: Family, friends, and God.