The path of suffering. How real really is this path for you?

@innertalks Its a fine story there about the boy trying to help, yet interrupting the natural process that would have perhaps saved the insect.

@innertalks Indeed, I can relate to it and why things happen this way.

@TiarasOceanView Yes, it shows us why suffering or effort might be needed sometimes, and why sometimes we might not always see this so readily. We should then perhaps look for the reason behind the effort, or suffering needed, and then we might have some type of a realisation, as did the boy here.

"He (Jesus) then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again." This quote is from the Christian bible book of Mark, chapter 8, verse 31. It seems by this that even God's son was destined by God to live a life of suffering then. And yet a tree just grows in the forest. Winds, strong rain, fires come, and go. Is that suffering for it, or is it more just par for the course? Is suffering real, or is it more just a label for some condition that we find ourselves in, and do not like? Does only life suffer? How about a rock? Can non-life suffer? Can a rock suffer? Even the "son of man" suffered for our sake. Suffering then is perhaps an aspect of our soul that brings pain to it, because our soul can then feel more the connection to all the varied facets of love, even as "God" fashions it into the jewel that he wants it to be, both for him, and for us, ourselves.

@innertalks Yes, I think since even Jesus had to suffer, we can't be immune to it. We need some difficulties in order to grow.

@petatonicsca Yes, that does seem to be the general opinion here. We need our experiences, both good and bad, to help us to grow in greater ways, than might be possible for us to grow, without these. If we accept the garden of Eden story though, it appears that not much suffering was required in that paradise. So, maybe this way of our growing, through suffering, was not a part of God's original plan for us. Once Adam and Eve sinned though, God made another plan that involved them sweating, toiling, and feeling pain, and suffering. "I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labour, you will give birth to children." Genesis, chapter 3, verse 16. "By the sweat of your brow, you will eat your food until you return to the ground." Genesis, chapter 3, verse 19.

@innertalks Yes that's true.

Yes, what doesn't kill us, always has the potential to make us stronger, that is, if we can see the love that is still shining through the sufferings, and then allow it to restrengthen us for our future.

@innertalks I do too so i take it as it comes and not fret about it.

@toniganzon Yes, if we get upset, it just makes the suffering much harder for us, I think.

I would avoid it too if that was possible. It seems to me to be that it isn't possible though. Suffering must be serving some purpose for us that nothing else can achieve for us in that way. Everything has a purpose of some sorts I believe. Everything happens for a reason, to pan out that old cliche again, as well.

@innertalks Thank you for sharing the words of God. I do agree that God loves us and sufferings are considered gifts from him.

@Shavkat Yes, that's a good way too, for us to think about suffering, and to have an attitude of gratitude to God even for those sufferings then.

Yes, I have heard that he never gives us more that what he knows that we can handle. That idea comes from Saint Paul in the Bible, I think, probably from this verse. "No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 13.

@dollaboy Thanks too!

@innertalks thanks, Steve Marshall

Those are all good points that you made there. It looks like that suffering is necessary, otherwise, why would God allow it to take place in our lives. "The reward of suffering is experience." Harry S Truman, (1884 to 1972) a past US President, seems to agree. Experiences teach us the most, I think. If we can see past the suffering though, in every experience that we go through, somewhere within that experience is a lesson for us about love too. I think that God ensures that is so. In this way, we grow wiser in his truths, and gain greater compassion for others, as you said, and we grow also in the understanding of how God's love works too. We get better at loving. I think that this is the goal of our lives. We are to grow in love, and to try to reach a level of loving that approaches the way that God loves us, perfectly and unconditionally so.

Yes, up to a point, I suppose. Last night I suffered all night long with an excruciating headache though. It's harder to be happy, when you suffer from anything like that I suspect, be it physical or mental suffering. Now, my headache that I had during the night, why was that physical suffering necessary for me to go through, if it was indeed necessary, or was it actually somehow unavoidable? (Perhaps it was caused by my pillow, or something that I had eaten the night before, for example) Effort brings forth rewards of gain brought about from reaching further into truth. When you sit too contently, you do not grow further out than that. Buffeting from life, though sometimes painful, or classed as suffering, brings greater knowledge and growth for you, in the long run.