It cannot be denied that life has its suffering. How could it be otherwise when bearers of the divine image are born into this dark world of sickness, sin, and suffering? God knows that we will suffer. He is not the author of it, but He is the transformer of it. But we must His loving hands do their transforming word. There is a saying that suffering can either make us ‘bitter’ or ‘better’, depending on how we respond to it. If we allow negative emotions, upset thinking, or bad decisions to grow, they will slowly pollute our life and may in time become our established mode of living. But if we take our pain to Jesus and receive His word on it, our pain will never poison us. Yes, we may be deeply hurt, but we will never become prisoners of our pain. This is the way described by the apostle Peter when he says, “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (1 Peter 5:10). Stop and reflect on his words for a moment and you will be struck by how remarkable God’s treatment of suffering is. This is not just a way of coping, or even a way of restoration, but a path to perfection, to an established heart, to strong faith, and to a life of deep inner peace. Wow! What an outcome.