A warm hello from Inspiration from a Blind brought to you monthly by www.ShirleyCheng.com !
"Why do good people have to suffer?" is something I hear from time to time, and I am sure that you have heard similar complaints, or perhaps you, yourself, have uttered the very question. It does seem that so many innocent people suffer on a daily bases. There are the starving children in Africa and abused women behind closed doors, and let us not forget the sickly trapped on their hospital beds.
Yet, when people use the word "good," I'd have to raise an eyebrow. How do we actually define "good" people? Who are considered "good"? I know plenty of "good" people who tell lies, cheat on their school exams, break promises, and use curse words in everyday speeches. On the other hand, I've heard about "bad" people who are wonderful parents, hardworking citizens, and even are volunteers in their communities.
It is very rare to find anyone who is white (purely good) or black (purely wicked). Do you not agree with me that all people are in varying shades of gray? Not to sound cynical, but, technically, not a single good person has ever walked on Earth, except for one man—Jesus Christ; and the Bible agrees.
Therefore, the real question is: "Why do people have to suffer?" Do some people simply have bad luck or is there a good reason why we suffer? Why do we all get sick, grow old, and die? And is all suffering really bad, or is it actually a blessing in disguise, somehow?
Here, I will outline some of the reasons why we suffer:
• Suffering strengthens and prepares us.
The trials and tribulations we face daily, some more often and severe than others, are exercise machines for our spirits. A sanitary person who has never experienced the cramps, aches, and sweat of exercise would likely be less strong and toned than those who exercise. Therefore, this person may have less energy and ability to perform certain physical feats when required in the future. On the other hand, those who regularly exercise would have the strength to face and overcome physical challenges when called for. Life is filled with challenges, and it is partly through suffering that strengthens and prepares us for tougher obstacles ahead.
• We learn through suffering.
If you tell a child who has never been burnt not to play with fire, do you think he will learn why? Sure, he would know that it will burn him, but if he has never felt the burning sensation, how would he truly know what being burned actually is? If he disobeys your command and touches a candle, do you think only then would he find out why you told him not to play with fire? You bet! Because of this experience, he learns to stay away from fire from now on. The mistakes we make in life teach us not to repeat the same error again or show us how to deal with the same kind of situation should it come up again.
• We are disciplined when we suffer.
The same child who touches that candle has received discipline through his throbbing finger. His unpleasant experience tells him that he should not take your command too lightly the next time.
• Suffering can be a form of punishment for our bad actions.
Everything that happens to us is the effect of our actions. If a man robs a bank and was caught and sent to jail, his prison sentence will be the punishment brought by him upon his own head. We reap what we sow.
• Suffering draws us closer to Jehovah.
When we go through tough times and heartaches, we realize that our mere human strengths are simply not enough to protect us. It is then that we will call upon God for help and power to assist us in getting through the dark tunnel to the light. But friend, we must not wait till the day of trials and tribulations to call to God; we must do so daily to better prepare ourselves for any challenges and traumas ahead.
• Finally, we suffer because we are imperfect.
We all have inherited imperfection from the first pair of humans. We get ill, grow old and fall asleep in death. It is true that animals grow old and die, but they were made that way. They were not made with the spiritual capacity to know right from wrong, so they technically do not commit sins, and therefore, they did not inherit death. But for us humans, we were created in God's image. God never intended for humans to die. Our death is our own doing.
While suffering is not something everyone enjoys, it is, many times, necessary to help us in our spiritual growing process. As a matter of fact, innocent suffering is a blessing that refines our spirit, just as gold and silver are refined in fire.
It may be hard to feel that you are lucky when you suffer, but you are. I am lucky to realize that innocent suffering is not bad, though undesirable and uncomfortable. Do I enjoy being physically disabled and blind? Not at all. But being blind and disabled has taught me many lessons. For one, I am more compassionate and empathetic toward people with similar situations. I am able to better understand what others are going through. How much less compassionate I would be without my disabilities—that I do not know, but I believe I am more compassionate than if I had not gone through what I have gone through.
I also believe the loss of my eyesight is a divine turn of events. Why a divine turn?
If I had not lost my eyesight, I would not have become an author and motivational speaker to touch as many people as I possibly can to bring humor, hope, and healing. I would have simply gone to college, gotten my degrees, become a scientist, and not bring the kind of spiritual food to others that far surpass any other worldly achievements and influences. Simply put, God exchanged my eyesight with a new vision.
Now that we understand why we suffer, your next biggest question may be: What about suffering inflicted by the bad guys? Why does God allow bad people to cause us harm? These are very good questions, whose answers will greatly help us cope with much of the injustice and darkness in this world. In the July issue, I will discuss why God allows wickedness, so stay tuned!
Q&A with Shirley
For this month's Q&A section, I received two great questions from Frances Strong, a blind writer of three children's books, who lives with her retired husband in Sumter, South Carolina. I have actually answered one of her questions in the opening article in this issue: Why do good people have to suffer. I felt that question deserved a detailed answer, so I decided to feature it. Below is her other question.
Question: What do you think happened to the dinosaurs?
Answer: To answer this question, I would like to first give you a few facts about the process of creation as presented by the Bible:
• In the beginning, Jehovah God created the heavens (our skies and atmosphere) and Earth. This "beginning" is not the very beginning of everything, as there is no beginning for God.
• God created every form of earthly life in a span of six days. Sometimes, a "day" in the Bible simply refers to an unspecified period of time, so each day in this stage of creation might have lasted thousands or millions of years.
• God first established plant life on our planet, followed by animals (organisms in the waters came first, and then land animals) and, lastly, humans. Science agrees with this fact.
According to science, the last dinosaurs died 65 million years ago, and humans did not exist until a very long time had passed. Does this information contradict the Bible? No, it does not; rather, it harmonizes with it. We know that the animals came first, so I believe that God destroyed the dinosaurs before He created us—for good reasons, I might add! Exactly how He destroyed the dinosaurs, well, that remains a secret only God and His heavenly hosts know.
Shirley's Corner
When doctors ask yes or no, parents should have the right to say no! As many of you know, I've been advocating parental rights in children's medical care to help today's loving parents have the right to speak for and defend their children.
When adults have the right to choose whichever doctor they want to see and whichever treatment they want to follow, why can't children? Are children less human that this natural right is taken from them?
Some doctors lie and cheat, and even molest their patients. But just because some doctors are bad does not mean all doctors are bad. Likewise, just because some parents are abusive/neglectful (as you can see in the article—false religion is a main destruction in the human population) does not mean that every parent is a child abuser. The state should treat each case according to its unique needs, instead of charging every parent with child abuse only after refusing unwanted and harmful treatments for their children.
Just because a doctor recommends a specific medical treatment does not mean that the treatment is guaranteed, harmless, or the best for the unique child. In Daniel Hauser's case, for example, we are told that the chemotherapy would be 90% effective to treat his Hodgkin's disease, but do they tell us what is the percentage that he will not be harmed by the treatment? No, because they do not know this themselves!
Since there is no one standard type of body, doctors cannot know what is best for a particular patient. That is why they ask us, "How do you feel after taking this medicine?" When we do not feel well on a certain medicine—as everyone reacts differently to the same drug—the doctor will then prescribe something else. But when children who do not feel good under a treatment, they are refused a second option/opinion!
Many people do not realize the severity of this matter until it strikes them. So before it strikes you or someone you know, let us put some common sense, compassion, and justice into our laws! Help me achieve my mission by signing my petition and telling others about it. On behalf of future loving parents and children, I thank you!
Well, this ends this issue. Until next time, remember that everything will be a thing of the past—injustice in this parental rights issue, for example, will not rule us forever, so keep your hope high to embrace a wonderful world that is to come!
Have a lovely month!
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Award-Winning Author with 20 Book Awards
9-Time Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award Winner
Mom's Choice Awards Recipient
Miracle survivor, inspiring author and contributing author of 25 books by age 25, poet, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, advocate, and a co-author in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love book series
Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club
http://www.shirleycheng.com Having a bad day? Then meet Shirley Cheng, A.K.A. the modern day Helen Keller, to inspire, empower, and motivate you to go for the gold medal in life!
"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!"
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Please sign the Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care: Give Parents the Right to Say No Petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/parentr7/petition.html
