Suffering

 One of my husband’s favorite Bible verses is from Saint Paul.

                     Now I rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church (Col. 1:24)

Since his passing I have begun to think more and more about what it means to “complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” I have always struggled with any kind of suffering because I am human and because I just don’t like seeing those I love suffer.  I recently read and explanation of this verse, in a book about proper eating of all places, which has been both a revelation and a comfort to me.

The author says: So close is Paul’s suffering with Christ’s that the apostle can speak of himself suffering for the Church, even completing “what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” how does that work? Well, first, remember that Paul knew that whatever good works were happening in him with his cooperation were in fact works of Christ. They have merits because they are Christ’s works. And logically, though Christ could work in and through Paul, he could not at the same time be Paul. So that part—Paul freely suffering as well—would be lacking in Christ’s afflictions while on the earth. It’s lacking not because Christ could not have done it all on his own, but because, from the beginning, he chose to include not just his own sufferings, but ours as well. Who are we to argue with him? He is God, and we are not.

                                                                                                        Jay W. Richards

Thinking of suffering in this way all of the years of being told and telling my kids to “Offer it up,” makes perfect sense. I can even see how we, the church militant, can offer things along with others when they are not able to do it themselves.  

When my husband was in his coma and I could see that he was in pain, though unable to express it to those around him, I would pray to God and to his Guardian Angel to whisper to him to offer the discomfort and the inability to express it for the medical staff who took care of him.  Later when he was in the rehab hospital I would whisper those things to him when therapy was difficult, there was pain, or he was not able to understand what was being asked of him. I would pray with him that God take these sufferings and apply what is lacking in those around him. I did this not only to help him but to help me to offer my own uncertainty, fear, and sorrow for myself that I would have the strength to support and encourage him rather than to burden him with my own sorrows. 

Since his passing the suffering has not let up but has become frequently more difficult to bear and I often have to remind myself that the offering up isn’t over yet. It’s always easier to encourage another than it is to keep things up for oneself. I am continually blessed to remember that I am still a work in progress and that tomorrow is a new day with more opportunities for efficacious suffering in it.