The Most Unexpected Gift.

There is always a lot going on inside my head and every now and then all the jumbles (multiple thoughts cart wheeling around) come together to form a decent thought or realization. Today was one of those days. I will have to be honest; life lately has been painful. There has been a lot of hurt, disappointment, surprise, fear, and confusion. But, through all of these very real, very painful things popping up, good has emerged. I have finally learned that the very worst situations, have potential for some of the very best experiences humans can experience. I thought at one time that I could never; under any circumstance see true good come from pain. Lessons learned yes, wisdom yes, even acceptance, but never good. I learned today that I was very wrong. Because without some of the greatest evils or pains we would be completely incapable of knowing the truest good. Without pain, we could never know what healing was like. Without sorrow, we could experience happiness, but never joy, and without suffering, we could never be capable of knowing comfort. True, without any of these negatives or hurts, we would live in a very safe, comfortable, even happy world, but we would live in a world void of the highest supreme pleasures. I have not yet had to hold my dying child in my arms or watch a parent die from a disease or experience anything even close to that degree of pain, but I hope that if I have to, this thought will remain, even then: the most pain we could ever imagine, pain that knocks us to our knees or leaves us breathless, that pain provides the way for the greatest levels of comfort, peace, and joy that is beyond our comprehension. And so, that pain has great worth. And if unbelievable pain has, great worth than perhaps the God who makes this good come from pain is, not only justified in allowing it, but also is good in allowing it? I think He is. And so I thank Him ahead of time for all of the pain that I will ever experience, because in doing so I am also being given the great honor of experiencing the greatest pleasures in this world. What a great God!