Hurts So Good (Not the John Cougar Song)
written by: Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’”
Even with all our faith, we continually misunderstand what Jesus is trying to do. God bless Martha. Even in her grief, she was trying to let Jesus off the hook and let him know she still believed. She didn’t comprehend but didn’t let her lack of understanding get in the way of her trust.
Several years ago, I had a friend afflicted with an alcohol problem he seemingly could not overcome. He tried going cold turkey, pouring bottles of booze down the drain, only to buy new bottles just days later. Finally, one day, he got very sick. His body couldn’t take the punishment any longer. He was hospitalized for some time and was so ill he didn’t remember clearly the added struggle of coming off the liquor. He never drank again. He felt physically and emotionally healthy for the first time in many years. To the best of my knowledge, he never drank another drop of alcohol.
At first glance, what seemed like God ignoring or even punishing my friend was his greatest gift. His serious illness saved his life, both physically and spiritually. Like my friend, Martha was experienced significant pain and didn’t understand why. But like my friend, she found her pain was only a preparatory moment for a profound blessing.
Often, pain can lead to a greater good. It can shake us out of a bad habit or allow us to see a more remarkable healing. Today, think back on your life and try to remember when something seemed terrible, but later, you realized it was a blessing. If you cannot come up with one in your own life, review the lives of friends and family. There has certainly been enough suffering around you. If you look with the eyes of faith, you will find the blessing.
(Originally printed on January 25, 2017)
