EMBRACING HURT & HEARTACHE

SUFFERING
{not really - as I try to remain honest here, I'm not quite there}
but that's not what this Part 3 of

... EMBRACED ...

was

In case you missed it, the most important word is

HIM

EMBRACING Him 

in the Midst of Hurt & Heartache

Embracing Him ... that Him, is God ... which really is the easiest part!

at least for me

It's where I run, it's where I hide,

it is the place I go most often

HE is the One

I EMBRACE in the midst of any hurt

any heartache, any suffering, any pain

Sometime earlier while reading these devotions, I wrote the following:

 ... the part that doesn’t come easy for me, and I would imagine, most of us, is 

Embracing suffering and pain ... or hurt and heartache! 

However, Embraced ... in this part 3 is all about God in the midst of every single ache, right there with us. 

As encouraging as this is, I find myself wondering if after spending time with Him, in the midst of each of these sorrowful times, these seasons of long suffering or seemingly so, endless and debilitating, perhaps unable to get beyond the ache, the pain, the suffering and incredible hurts, weak or weakened by the suffering physically, mentally, psychologically and emotionally, do we somehow seem stronger, or only comforted by knowing this truth that "He is in the midst," understands the suffering, realizes the pain-staking cost, or the increasing havoc of all this that a human being just barely can bear, hanging on to just survive it, it seems so often, or is He calling us into the depth of suffering? and through it to really know Jesus, the Healer and rely on Him completely so that we might help one other person through theirs - their suffering, their hurt, their heartache? Although our pain may not be the same, is God trying to stir us to encourage them and allow our empathy or sympathy to move us with more compassion and be more like Jesus? I also am more aware of the pain, hurt and heartache that I've caused in the lives of others and truly spent time in repentance of this, but for some, I'm done - and no longer think I should be paying consequneces still of stuff in the past. The past is done, and cannot be changed, but with God's help in the present and hope for the future, He makes all things possible. I pray this includes removing the pain, and taking away wrongful, revengeful plans of hurt people.

I can tell you that after reading these devotions, I did feel encouraged but not able to heal (just yet, with some) just deal better with some of the heartache. I’m more content with not understanding the many ‘w’ questions, especially ‘why?’, and even more thankful that He is with me in the midst, fully Embracing me as I fully Embrace Him, and understanding His promises a little better helps me too. I do realize how much Jesus had to suffer, and so many others suffer throughout this world and throughout history, but somehow that doesn’t help me or give me any solution to not feeling like God has allowed more than I can handle, or more than others can handle in the suffering scheme of things. Of course, when you’re ‘in the midst’ of any suffering, heartache, or struggle, it seems much more unbearable, more difficult to see clearly or feel brave until you reach that other side and are able to look back, seeing His Hand holding on to you through it all, a thread of hope and Him at work, traces of Him in His perfect love and Embrace, but until then ... (pause, breath of a deep sigh) - we wait, we pray, we seek and search, we believe and we trust. Meanwhile He continues to pour His strength into us, His healing touch upon us, His heart entwined in our pain, our ache, our suffering, His loving arms wrapping us in His Embrace, covering us over and over with great compassion and empathy. He longs to be close at all times as we draw closer and keep our eyes fixed on Him, not on our many needs, our circumstances - just soaking in His Presence.

It may be quite some time, or in no time at all, that we finally see an end to suffering, or have an understanding of our hurts and heartaches, or an answer for our pain; and I, for one, may never be able to Embrace suffering or heartache or pain, but I will most definitely Embrace the One who knows suffering, heartache and pain, and gives me victory to overcome, even in the midst, because HE took it  all for me, and He will see me through each one, every day, which is what I need to hold on to as I continue to surrender, give it all to Him, and cast each burden, EVERY ONE of them on Him, for He cares so much for me, and you - that He did Embrace suffering that wasn’t His to bear, and He aches each time any one of His children are hurting. He's longing to Embrace them, and take away their pain. If only we let Him. Jesus did so, so we don’t have to. All it takes, One lasting Embrace!

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This hardly does justice to all Lysa's devotions in Part 3 of

Embracing Him in the midst of hurt and heartache

and what I got out of reading them.

Nor does this help you to

EMBRACE SUFFERING

{perhaps these Bible verses might - sorry, the link I had, doesn't work now}

iPost Christianpost 10 Bible verses tells Christians to embrace sufferings

I should have copied the 10 verses

Bible Study Tools have 30 Significant Bible Verses about Suffering

Open Bible - 100 Verses

  {so I had to search again and this time found} 

10 Powerful Principles to Endure Suffering

{to EMBRACE or 'to Endure' are not at all the same to me}

Why do I share this? 

I guess because I've read somewhere recently something 

that we are suppose to 'embrace our suffering' so I'm still trying 

to figure this out.

I believe it all might have started when I read: 

Colossians 1:24

Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. (NIV)

because those words stuck with me until I read this verse in The Passion Translation and  received a clearer understanding
Anyways, I submerged myself in Psalm 23 and 91 studies and plans clearly
 Suffering is inevitable.  We can expect suffering.  No one enjoys suffering,  but it is a normal part of life even the Christian life or especially the Christian life.
BUT God...
can give us His grace and power
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The last part of "EMBRACED ... " Part 4: Embracing His Call to be Transformed, might have to wait a while for me to continue again ... perhaps mid-October or maybe not until November. It contains Devotions #76-100. It's not because I'm not ready to EMBRACE His Call or to be transformed or His Call to be transformed, I've just got other readings and things to deal with at this time (deadlines on forms, etc.). 
I'm looking forward to some "Quiet Time" and even some get-away time so I don't want to start and stop in Part 4 again like I did with this one. 
In fact, now that I'm thinking ahead about this, perhaps, I will begin 2020 with being "transformed" or EMBRACING His Call to be Transformed ... but, in no way am I thinking of 'transform' as my 2020 One Word (only God knows that for sure) I thought I was sorting out 3 'P' Words for One Word so we'll have to see ... anyways, it may be awhile to finish EMBRACED ... because of all that's part of this last part, which now may be the first part of 2020 and I must add, it's perfect to start out a New Year EMBRACING HIS CALL to be TRANSFORMED! {yeah I like that}
Maybe in part, it's just because I don't want to finish Lysa's book EMBRACED ... knowing that I have not yet EMBRACED all that is before me and I know that I have so much yet to EMBRACE!