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There was a time in my life when I didn’t understand why God was sending me all the suffering I was experiencing.

First, my husband died at 48.

The five children still at home were 19 down to 9. What an experience. Especially during the depression I suffered.

The next year, my mother in law died.

The following year I had to travel with the sherrif to a neighboring village (aout 20 miles away) to identify my father in law who had committed suicide. I don’t think I have ever done anything so gruesome.

About four years later by borther, a priest, died from AIDS, so I had to finally face his life style which I had been denying and deal with his death — he was two years younger than me too.

And a couple years after that my mother died suddenly from complications from diabetes.

Through it all I was able to do my griefing with the Beginning Experince Ministry. The link is on my profile page.

So, you see, I went through the dark valley, came out on the other side, and am a much better person because of all the suffering.

(In between I tossed a son’s rear in the juvenile detention center, sold a business, moved and started attending a new church where I was drawn into leadership.

Totally amazing what God’s plan for me has led to.

OK — time for someone else to share about their suffering. LOL!

Wow, awesome story Salvation! You are truly a testimony to the strength the Lord provides in enduring even the most difficult trials and tribulations.

I've been through some pain and suffering in my life, too, but nothing like that! The divorce of my parents was difficult. Also, my mother within the past few years has been in and out of the mental hospital, which has been difficult. The loss of my grandparents to dimensia has been difficult -- one is gone, the other is still fading away. We've had several miscarriages, which were painful to endure. And this past year I had to put my dog to sleep. They were difficult times, but every single one brought me closer to the Lord!

Suffering clearly does seem to have a sanctifying effect, and those I've known who are the most mature spiritually seem to also be those individuals who have endured the most hardships.

There has been a lot of spiritual literature on the purifying aspect of external grace, achieved through detachment from creatures and stripping of self-love. Repeatedly the axiom is stated that "a person cannot be united with God, source of all purity, except through detachment from everything created" that tends to draw a person to himself and away from the Creator.

Suffering seems to be the normal way God effects detachment in souls. He appears to measure it out according to the perfection He has in store and the degree of holiness to which He had destined a person. As a general rule, as St. Augistine wrote, "suffering makes wicked souls miserable, but borne with fortitude it purifies souls that are good." Indeed, in those whom God loves, like a wise physician, He cuts away the tumor of self-confidence.

It truly is wonderful how YHWH works in our lives and gets us through. You list the loss of I think 5 people in 9 years, that’s a lot.

I went through something quite similar. First lost my brother in-law, then about 2 years later, my father in law, then about 2 years after that my mother in law, a month after that my own mother, a year and a half after that my step father, who was like a father to me. Not to mention losing a couple of Aunts, one, 6 months before and the other 6 months after my mother. Six people in 5 and a half years.

Nestled into all that I had to have two emergency surgeries. But, YHWH works in ours lives and keeps us strong and gets us through our tribulations and sorrows.