“Pain and suffering are not necessarily signs of God’s anger; they may be exactly the opposite.”
–John Blanchard

Often times when I am working with children, even adults, trying to get around or through the nuances of the English language are challenging. There are words that sound the same but mean completely different things. There are words that mean the same thing that are spelled completely different. Need I go on?

So, is it any wonder, when I read the quote above that I could understand how I could get confused about pain and suffering? The language of God is unlike any we will know of while on this earth. I have so many questions about “what does this mean?” or “why is it this way?”. For English we have Websters or Rogets, and for God we have the Bible, but even with these there are open areas of interpretation. Right?

More than anything, perhaps, Blanchard’s words remind me to be open to the possibilities.

“Only take heed, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen.”
–Deuteronomy 4:9-10, The Revised Standard Version