Guest blogger David Owens contributes to our final\u00a0reflection on the issue of suffering in a most personal testimonial. Thank you, David, for this profoundly moving sharing of your walk of discipleship of trust in the Triune God. I include David’s words in his email which introduce his thoughts: \u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been pondering the Bishop\u2019s blog on answering \u2018the problem\u2019 of suffering, and the various guest bloggers contributions.\u00a0 Without being asked, I\u2019m attaching my own thoughts primarily because it has been helpful to me to think through the experience of the last several months and commit it to words.\u00a0 If it\u2019s useful to others that\u2019s a bonus.\u00a0 If John wants to use any, some, or none of it please feel free.\u00a0 Blessings, David. {I decided to use all of David’s reflection which follows}<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter a day of much prayer and bitter tears we are heading in to hospital to be induced and give birth to Anabelle Louise Owens. We know already that some time in the last few days something has caused her heart to stop. Although every other sign remains good, our beloved girl has already died. We ask you to light the candle as you pray for us.\u00a0<\/em>[In preparing for the birth of our daughter whom we had already named Anabelle we sent the table candles from our wedding dinner to family and friends that they might light them as we went in to labour and pray for us while they awaited our announcement.] I won’t send another sms tonight. Thank you for your support. David and Julia.”<\/em><\/p>\n Sunday 28th<\/sup> March 2010 5.33pm<\/em><\/p>\n <\/em>\u00a0Anabelle Louise Owens has arrived on her Cuddle Day this afternoon, quiet and still, but so beautiful and perfectly formed. Already loved and adored but also grieved for what will not be. We have appreciated your prayers and support in the last few days and will in the coming weeks. Thank you, David and Julia<\/em><\/p>\n Wednesday 31st<\/sup> \u00a0March 2010 3.40pm<\/em><\/p>\n There is a problem with \u201csuffering\u201d.\u00a0 What do you do with this experience and a loving God?\u00a0 How do you understand what has happened?\u00a0 What have I learned in the months since?\u00a0 First that the \u201cpop theology\u201d residing in the broad community of pain\/suffering\/loss is varied, seemingly consistently unhelpful, and seriously non-biblical.\u00a0 \u201cGod needed another angel\u201d, \u201cGod has taken her early to avoid an even worse fate\u201d, \u201cGod is using this to teach you (me or someone else) an important lesson\u201d, \u201ceverything happens for a purpose (which we cannot see)\u201d, are all simply wrong.\u00a0 All will eventually trip you up and tie you to a God who is not God.<\/p>\n People want to speak words of comfort.\u00a0 Saying \u201cthank you\u201d as soon as possible seems to take the pressure off people and allows them to stop talking nonsense, and just be.\u00a0 I remain humbled that Job\u2019s \u201ccomforters\u201d sat silently with him for a week (Job 2:11-13), I cannot say I have ever offered that level of practical sympathy to another.<\/p>\n I have been reminded repeatedly that Christian family is amazing.\u00a0 A number simply sat for hours outside our home and prayed.\u00a0 Many wished to provide any love and support that we could cope with.\u00a0 Will and Gill screened this and managed our church \u2013 they were a quiet constant blessing. \u00a0Home group provided a practical basket of love some weeks after the funeral that was tangibly them and us \u2013 it too was a blessing.\u00a0 Our needs were really very small and life shrank to a surprisingly minimalist extent.\u00a0 After time some normalcy was craved and slowly we re-engaged with the world.<\/p>\n What else did I learn?\u00a0 That the time to work out your own understanding of suffering is not in the midst of it – grief is too overwhelming.\u00a0 An earlier observation of (another\u2019s) loss had allowed me to already know the falsehood of \u201ceverything happens for a purpose\u201d, and the long term damage that that misunderstanding would do.\u00a0 I understood the wrongness, and curse of what we were living through.\u00a0 God was not remote, and actually the flat black and white text of scripture became vibrant and colourful, three dimensional truth.\u00a0 The mapless grief remained but God\u2019s promise was certain and a comfort.<\/p>\n Music always a part of our home became a part of the grieving process.\u00a0 Blessed be the name of the Lord<\/em>, and Indescribable<\/em> were staples.\u00a0 Stephen Curtis Chapman\u2019s Beauty will\u00a0 Rise<\/em> was too difficult to listen to initially, impossibly painful, but has now became a favourite.<\/p>\n I had a need to put together a timeline of what had happened and a good friend helped enormously there.\u00a0 I have a need for justice, for my little girl, even while I cannot say what this actually is or will be, beyond the resolution of heaven.<\/p>\n Two passages were immediately helpful and remain continuously front of mind:<\/p>\n 1. All of Romans, particularly Chapter 8 where creation groans awaiting redemption, and the Spirit intercedes for us with groans too deep for words to express and especially Rom 8:28 \u201cAnd we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose\u201d.\u00a0 This happened not so that God could do good, but even in this God will work for the good of those who love him.\u00a0 My groans are chorused by the Spirit and creation itself, I am not alone in my grief, and it will not be air brushed away but properly resolved.\u00a0 Jesus words on the cross \u201cIt is finished\u201d (John 19:30) are just that, it is finished.\u00a0 We wait for the resolution, nothing more needs to be done.\u00a0 This does not sound like a God who is remote, regardless of any of my own momentary sense or feeling.<\/p>\n 2. Rev 21:3,4 \u201cAnd I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, \u201cLook! God\u2019s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. \u2018He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death\u2019 or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.\u201d\u00a0 I will one day meet my little girl, without tears.\u00a0 Maranatha.<\/p>\n \u00a0See also Answering the problem of suffering <\/a>and Christians respond to suffering #1<\/a>, Christians respond to suffering #2<\/a>, Christians respond to suffering #3<\/a>, Christians respond to suffering #4<\/a>,\u00a0Christians respond to suffering #5<\/a>\u00a0and Christians respond to suffering #6<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Guest blogger David Owens contributes to our final\u00a0reflection on the issue of suffering in a most personal testimonial. Thank you, David, for this profoundly moving sharing of your walk of discipleship of trust in the Triune God. I include David’s … Continue reading