God's Love

So, I've been pondering this sentiment lately, whch seems very prevalent in our world today:

How can we see all the sorrow and suffering in our lives and the world around us, and still believe in a loving God? 

Here are some of my thoughts, and a couple quotes from good books I've read recently:

“But something pulled her through, and that was when I knew there was something more to faith than just believing in a God. It was knowing him in such a way that you could go through hell on earth and still say he is love.” --Ann Tatlock, All The Way Home

I’ve been feeling and recognizing how very fallen this world is, and that in order to see God’s love in it, you have to back up and look at the bigger picture, the entire plan. God’s love is in a plan that does not force any of His children to follow His will. God’s love is in His gift of agency, that every single child of His may choose for themselves what they want eternally. We first made that choice in Heaven, when we knew Him personally, and He presented His plan for our progression. Here we have a second chance to make the same decision again, this time in a chaotic, fallen world, where Satan thinks he reigns, and we are separated from God, with no memory of our former home. It continues into the spirit world, where we still have the opportunity to choose to repent and progress back to God.

God’s love is in His repeated forgiveness, it is in His mercy, it is in the gift of His Son to provide the way we can return Home, if we choose to do so. God's love is in His patience and longsuffering in regards to our mistakes and weaknesses. His love is in those things being given to ALL His children. We often desire mercy and love and forgiveness to be given to ourselves, but on the flipside we have a hard time seeing them extended to others when they have injured us. We like our freedom of choice, but hate to suffer as a result of the choices of others. Christ’s yoke is easy, His burden is light, He asks us to carry love, forgiveness, mercy, kindness, to extend to others what we would have Him extend to us. In contrast, Satan wants us to be caught up in the unfairness of life, burdened down with hatred, vengeance, or overwhelmed by extreme suffering, his goal is to make all men miserable like unto himself.

Mortal life is not meant to be our happily ever after. We are not here to remain unscathed, to always feel good, to be perfect. We are here for experience, to feel a wide range of emotions, opposition in all things. We must decide what we will become as a result of them. He did not send us here expecting us to stay whole, we are here to be broken. God's love is in the sacrifice of His Son, and only He can make us whole again. His love does not take pleasure in our pain, He weeps with us. Sometimes He does step in and protect us from or even prevent our further suffering, but if not, He provides the path to healing. His love will not allow us to suffer more than He can eventually turn into something that works for our good, when we choose to turn to Him. Somehow in the end, all the injustices in this life will be made right, consecrated to our gain, that is the magic of His loving plan. God's love is in His work, to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life.

I have sorely questioned why exactly this fallen place was the best/only way for us to progress eternally?!? But I know that is not something I will ever understand here. I appreciate this parable: 

“There was a rabbi who lived in Poland a long time ago. I think hundreds of years ago. And one day he was out with his students having a picnic or something up on a big hill that overlooked the town. While they were there, a bunch of people came riding into town--people who hated the Jews--and started killing everyone, even the women and children. And here was the rabbi and his students looking down from the hill and seeing it all happen. Well, of course they were horrified. And the rabbi said, 'If only I were God.' And one of his students said, 'If you were God, what would you do differently?' And the rabbi said, 'If I were God, I wouldn't do anything differently. If I were God, I would understand.'” --Ann Tatlock, I’ll Watch the Moon

I don’t know why a loving Father would allow His children to suffer so much in this life, but I do know that He knows why. For whatever reason, He thought it was necessary for our progression. All I can do, for now, is strive to put my trust in Him and His perspective.

But someday, someday, I hope to really understand. 

After all, at one time in the past I understood a little bit better than I do now, and that is why I chose to follow His plan and come here to earth. So maybe, just maybe, I should trust in my own self a little bit more too . . .