suffering | clarakatalin

Poems, Personal Stories, and Observations

Posts tagged ‘suffering’

It Hurts to Love

The cross of Christ is a paradox. How can something so painful be good, and even holy? Perhaps the more you love others, the more you will suffer. Yes, there will be times of joy, but let’s face it: often, it hurts to love.

Because you cared about others, but often they misunderstood you, or they felt threatened by your love, you suffered. Or, you suffered when you saw your loved one suffering. Or, you see their bad choices, but cannot make them change. Then you must wait and pray and trust that God may change their hearts.

Category:

Commentary

Tagged with:

For the Joy

I had my head down for so long,
It takes training for me to lift it up.
My focus is off; My heart’s eyes myopic.
Learning from God is my only cure.

“For the joy set before him he endured,”
“He considered the fact that God is able,”
“Our light and momentary troubles,”
“Our slight afflictions,”
“The sufferings of this present time,”
“Not worth comparing with the glory.”

I don’t know how abuse, torture, rape, crucifixion,
Ridicule, mockery, calumny,
Beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonments and more,
Suffered by some,
Can be called “slight –”
But the glory, the joy, of heaven,
Must be far greater than anyone can imagine.

Category:

Poems

Tagged with:

This Broken World

This broken world of suffering souls;
So many hurting — it’s out of control.

We need a Savior, a God Who can mend.
We need a Father, Who loves without end.

We need the Spirit, Who gives us the power
To overcome Satan in ungodly hour.

Time to surrender your will unto His.
Let Him live in you, and give you His gifts.

Category:

Poems

Tagged with:

Suffering Servant

Weighed down
By our sin and suffering,
You sweated blood.
How did you persevere?

Knowing the evil within us,
You still loved us.

Having mercy,
You forgave.
You healed.

Confronting evil,
You were crucified.

Freely laying down your life,
You took it up again.

Savior of the world,
Save us!

Category:

Poems

Tagged with:

There’s a Reason

There’s a reason for your suffering,
A purpose for your pain.
God’s forging new beginnings;
Your hurt is not in vain.

You may be in confusion,
Be tempted by despair,
But if you’ll keep on trusting,
No comfort can compare.

Your life is God’s creation;
His plan, it has no flaw.
And when His work is over,
You’ll stand in humble awe.

Remember you are clay now,
Or liquid metal made.
Each person finely crafted,
A creature now remade.

Category:

Poems

Tagged with:

Transformation of hurt and suffering

Someday, we might be able to see all our hurts, sufferings, and traumas

as TRANSFORMED miraculously into good,

if by God’s grace we’ve allowed Him to use these to bring us closer to Him.

Category:

Commentary

Tagged with:

The Fates of War

I was once your enemy;
The fates of war
Placed us on opp’site sides —
We had our pride.

We had a cause,
We gave not pause –
Our cause was just –
To fight we must.

Sure those in power
Were not always right,
But many focused
For loved ones to fight.

The many fallen,
The dead, the suffering,
The broken hearts,
The shrapnel puncturing …

The refugees,
The enemy aliens,
The lost, the forgotten;
The orphans taken in.

And then it ends;
We pick up the pieces.
We must forgive,
Or hatred increases.

In the end, the good will win,
Despite our many, varied sins.
And in every conflict, however grave,
If we want the same, we must forgive.

(Memorial Day, 2016)

Category:

Poems

Tagged with:

Old Saints

[I saw a white-haired lady at church …]

Sun-wrinkled wisdom,
Silver-haired sense.
Long years of suffering,
Lost innocence.

Growth in compassion,
Mercy matured.
Their passion for praying
Has borne much great fruit.

Closer their souls
To God up above.
May all of us hope
To thus grow in love.

Category:

Poems

Tagged with: