It's a common thought, and not one that doesn't resonate with me. Still, when I mentioned agonizing over my decision of when to put Foster to sleep, some of the comments surprised me, not in content but intensity.
"It's too bad we can't do that for people."
Sure, I understand that watching anyone suffer is horrendous. But, does that mean there is no value in suffering? Maybe it's not for the person suffering. Maybe it's not for a family member. What if there is value for someone else? If the person suffering was asked to suffer a little longer because there would be a benefit for their child, would they say yes?
My pets are wonderful and they add a lot to my life. However, I don't put them in the same category as people. Before my husband was diagnosed with ALS, he saw another person with a serious illness and he whispered to me that if that ever happened to him, he'd kill himself. The irony is that it did happen to him. He never considered suicide. I understand that people suffer terrible, unrelenting pain. The temptation to end it must be immense. But what if there's more to it? Our lives are our lives, but we're connected too, aren't we?
God understands our pain, emotional and physical. Yet His plan for each life has us intertwined with others, no matter how much we may not like that notion. Only God has numbered our days, with an intention for value of each moment. He has dominion over us, as we have dominion over our pets. God must agonize over our pain, yet with the full knowledge as to the reasoning behind it - a reasoning we struggle and often rail against - a test of our faith.
Yet Jesus, undeserving of the punishment and suffering he endured, willingly laid down his life in order that the doors to Heaven would be thrown open to us. Understanding God's full plan, he suffered for each one of us.
Our culture fosters an "all about us" mentality. It's not an easy thing to admit that maybe we don't get to make every decision of our lives. Yet, if we consider it carefully, perhaps that is in fact a truly liberating concept. Almost like God has a plan...
"It's too bad we can't do that for people."
Sure, I understand that watching anyone suffer is horrendous. But, does that mean there is no value in suffering? Maybe it's not for the person suffering. Maybe it's not for a family member. What if there is value for someone else? If the person suffering was asked to suffer a little longer because there would be a benefit for their child, would they say yes?
My pets are wonderful and they add a lot to my life. However, I don't put them in the same category as people. Before my husband was diagnosed with ALS, he saw another person with a serious illness and he whispered to me that if that ever happened to him, he'd kill himself. The irony is that it did happen to him. He never considered suicide. I understand that people suffer terrible, unrelenting pain. The temptation to end it must be immense. But what if there's more to it? Our lives are our lives, but we're connected too, aren't we?
God understands our pain, emotional and physical. Yet His plan for each life has us intertwined with others, no matter how much we may not like that notion. Only God has numbered our days, with an intention for value of each moment. He has dominion over us, as we have dominion over our pets. God must agonize over our pain, yet with the full knowledge as to the reasoning behind it - a reasoning we struggle and often rail against - a test of our faith.
Yet Jesus, undeserving of the punishment and suffering he endured, willingly laid down his life in order that the doors to Heaven would be thrown open to us. Understanding God's full plan, he suffered for each one of us.
Our culture fosters an "all about us" mentality. It's not an easy thing to admit that maybe we don't get to make every decision of our lives. Yet, if we consider it carefully, perhaps that is in fact a truly liberating concept. Almost like God has a plan...
AND THAT, is why you are such a great writer. You have a knack for taking a thought and putting it into words that actually make sense. You should start a blog or write a book. OH YEA, YOU ALREADY DID THIS. lol You are a very special person. Thank you for your wisdom.
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