How to Control Your Suffering

His sweet little spirit brought joy to his fellow travelers on the rutted roads of the Oregon Trail. The ticket west had appealed to his father and mother and they had hitched their wagon to the dream of a better life beyond the great Rocky Mountains.

Early in the journey, the little boy who looked on in wonder as his family’s wagon crawled through prairie grass, fell ill with fever. His mother’s diary recorded how pleadingly he would gaze into her face as she held him, hoping she could ease his suffering. But she could not, and he died just a few days after the onset.    Her diary detailed his burial along the trail in his new summer suit,  yellow wildflowers in his small hands. She lamented on tear-stained pages how she had fashioned the little suit before their arduous journey began, never dreaming he would do anything but give joy to his family while running about in the little garment. Now it was a set of burial clothes.

Suffering along that old trail was a regular occurrence. Disease was rampant, help often a mere home remedy. It was a suffering that many western settlers knew all too well, a sign of the times in which they lived.

Suffering comes in different forms today, but it is just as real, and painful.  Like a mother who cannot help her distressed child, it can make us feel out of control and looking for anything to ease our pain. But having an eternal perspective can bring us peace in the midst of any storm we face.  When we put our trust in Christ as Savior, with the promise of  eternal life,  we can weather  our storms with  joy because  we  know that He will be waiting for us with open arms when our journey here is through:

“He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. All of that has gone forever.”   Revelation 21:4

No matter what you are going through today or how far God may seem from you, if you have accepted Christ then all His promises are true for you. Every tear, every sorrow, every unmet need and desire will be healed in the beauty of eternity with Him!