Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Children and Suffering
"People get very upset by the idea that their children might have to suffer. Well, why are you having children? You want them to be Christians, don't you? If they are going to be Christians, they are going to suffer. That is what life is about."
Stanley Hauerwas
From This Day's Thought.
I hate it when my children suffer. DenverDocDaughter1 gets Seasonal Affective and it kills me. DenverDocDaughter2 gets displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Refugee is such an ugly word.) DenverDocDaughter3 has a learning disability. But as I look at them, each has become stronger from the sufferings. And so have I.
Perhaps that is why we have such a dangerous world. Have you ever thought about the unintended consequence of making everything safe for your kids? Sooner or later, in this crazy fallen world, you inevitably will run into something dangerous. What chance does your child have of surviving a big danger, if they have been protected from all the little ones? I am completely opposed to intentionally inflicting suffering to cleanse my soul, but looking back many of the things that hurt me made me grow.
Stanley Hauerwas
From This Day's Thought.
I hate it when my children suffer. DenverDocDaughter1 gets Seasonal Affective and it kills me. DenverDocDaughter2 gets displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Refugee is such an ugly word.) DenverDocDaughter3 has a learning disability. But as I look at them, each has become stronger from the sufferings. And so have I.
Perhaps that is why we have such a dangerous world. Have you ever thought about the unintended consequence of making everything safe for your kids? Sooner or later, in this crazy fallen world, you inevitably will run into something dangerous. What chance does your child have of surviving a big danger, if they have been protected from all the little ones? I am completely opposed to intentionally inflicting suffering to cleanse my soul, but looking back many of the things that hurt me made me grow.
