What Is It To Suffer?.... -Abbigayle Ebling

suf·fer  (/ˈsəfər/ )

verb

1.

experience or be subjected to (something bad or unpleasant).

 

The word "suffer" is a very diverse word with varying degrees and/or meanings. Synonyms of suffer include words ranging from bad to agonizing. So, if you have a cold, you could very well say you were suffering - as it is experiencing something unpleasant. Although, you could also correctly say you were suffering upon being tortured or beat, as you are subjected to something bad.

Reading The Dream Of The Rood, I couldn't get that word off my mind..... suffer. I mean, you have this cross that is subject to carrying the Lord as He is put to death. Whilst I think it's just a little bit weird for it to be talking, I cannot really judge much since I take life advice from Disney movies and I love Pocahontas a lot, so.... talking trees are not beyond me.

Okay, I should be serious about the text now, because I already type a lot regardless... Hah... Okay. Here goes.

"I dared not bow or break there

against my Lord's wish, when I saw the surface

of the earth tremble. I could have felled

all my foes, yet I stood firm." 

That is lines 36 through 39, and also the part that kept sticking out to me as I read this over a couple of times trying to figure out what I wanted my blog post to be about... I know that this is a serious piece, so I didn't want to "give it the old razzle dazzle" and take it out of context or add silliness as I like to do with my scribbling thoughts on here.

I would say that the cross in this thought line was a just representation for the word suffer in a various degree from Jesus who also suffered, but I want to zone in on the Cross here... While the tree couldn't actually have feelings, being portrayed in this way makes it much more complex and real in the story of the crucifixion of Christ. I mean, if I had been the one holding the wounded, tattered, and bleeding Savior of the world, I do not think I could have possibly held my ground - even if I was made for that purpose. Maybe that's because I am an emotional person, and I feel things deeply, but... I think I would've failed to hold Him up, failed to have faith that that was my purpose, despite the fact that I was tree limbs and didn't have a choice who was nailed or bound to me.

Trying to add the other assigned reading into this is going to be difficult, as to me it didn't seem..... Well, it didn't seem believable. Whereas the cross was a vision, The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation is not, and is supposedly true. I know I might be of little faith, then, as God is all-powerful, but.... I just don't see how these events would've taken place back-to-back like that pretty much in the same area since they were pretty much within the same Monastery. It just doesn't make sense to me... but for the sake of my grade, and that I don't want anyone being able to come to the conclusion that I didn't read that chunk of stuff (because I did.....twice.) - I will find a way to lace it in here. 

So... From Book 2, Chapter XII.

"Do not think that I am ignorant of the cause of your grief, your watching, and sitting alone without. For I know who you are, and why you grieve, and the evils which you fear will fall upon you."

Okay, okay, okay... I DID NOT WANT TO DO THIS - BUT THE OLD RAZZLE DAZZLE IS COMING OUT FOR A MINUTE.

I feel like that can go with my point on suffering in a different aspect, like, God knows what suffering you will be going through, and He knows the cause and how fear can play such a huge role within it all.... after all, "the fear of torture is always worse than the actual torture itself." (taken from Jericho, can't tell you what episode... but I do know I was sad when it never was finished. It was a good show.) So, if God knows all of the suffering that you will endure in life - what is there to fear? If my God is for me, then what could stand against? Even in the face of everything around me that could cause my faith to sway or for fear to set it, I hope I have the strength to forever live by Isaiah 41:10, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." 

To fear suffering is to give the Devil a foothold on your heart, like a loose thread on a sweater - it can unravel you. Do not give him that power. Do not let Satan have a reason to say, "Let me do this, and they will turn against You." then proceed to prove him right. No. May your faith be real enough to know that troubling times come, and innocent enough to believe that God will pull you through it... because both statements are true.

Hopefully this all actually makes sense.... I don't know. Thanks for reading!

Always Yours,

Abbigayle 💛

P.S. I commented on the posts of  Moriah Nelson and Will Brady.