My eleven year old daughter has to get her blood drawn. I listen as she screams, "Anything but this! No, please don't! I just want it to be a normal day!" I think,"she doesn't know what real suffering is." I tell her it's for her good. I try to explain it to her. I tell her it will happen so fast. It's only a few seconds of her life. I'm frustrated that she won't look at me. She won't hear what I'm trying to say to her. Her eyes are on the needle and her thoughts on the anticipation of pain. Based on her life experience and eleven year old knowledge of the world, getting a shot is the worst thing that can happen to her.
I think about my fears- cancer, terrorism, death of a child, Christian persecution. "Lord, please anything but this! Make it stop. The suffering is too great!" He smiles at me with compassion and thinks, "Child, you don't know what real suffering is. You don't understand how this all works together for your good." He says, "Yes, there will be pain, but the suffering is so short compared to eternity." He is frustrated that I won't keep my eyes on Him. "Why won't you listen to my words and find comfort?"
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