Bad + Bad + Bad = Good?

Lately it seems like I am constantly hearing of someone going through a difficult time.  For whatever reason, painful times come in bunches.  Whether it be physical, emotional, or financial pain or stressful situations, it seems like it’s never just one thing.  Most of the time when I hear of many people going through tough times at once, I start to wonder why there is so much pain and suffering, especially among Christians.

I’m sure that at some point, nearly everyone has asked why bad things happen to good people.  Maybe that’s the wrong question.  Instead of wondering why so many people are suffering at a given time, perhaps we should look at all the negative situations as a positive thing.

As weird as this equation seems: Negative + Negative + Negative + Negative + Negative = Positive… maybe it’s exactly right.  It may seem strange by our own standards, but in God’s economy it makes perfect sense.  The last shall be first; if you want to be great, you must be a servant; you have to die to live…hurt, pain, and suffering brings hope, healing, and growth.  Instead of getting depressed when we see and hear of all the people who are hurting, we should focus on the good that can come from it.

Maybe the reason that we see so many people around us suffering at the same time is so that they don’t have to go through it alone.  When a person suffers alone, it is overwhelming, discouraging, and can make them want to give up; when several people suffer together, there is amazing potential for healing and hope.  I suppose that’s why community is so important.  When you do life with other people and know that you are going to be there for each other in times of need, it makes going through hurt and pain more bearable.  Not easy, but bearable.

So please, if you are hurting and you know someone else that is hurting, don’t go through it alone.  Even if what each of you are going through is different, there is comfort in knowing that you are not alone in what you are feeling.  The circumstances may be different, but the emotions are the same.  Reach out to them and let them know that they are not alone.  Be sad together.  Be hurt together.  Be angry together.  Be broken together.  Most importantly…be together.

On the album “Hope Rising” by Fee, there are two songs that especially relevant for someone going through a tough situation – the first is called “Everything Falls” and the second is “Arms That Hold The Universe”.  I’ve been listening to this album a lot lately and felt like these two songs would be good to share with my friends and family who are hurting right now.