5.1 What kind of suffering do you want?

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5.1-

I have some roses. I like the beauty and the fragrance. I don't like the feel of the thorns. I have tried to trim them back and gotten poked several times. I got some new gloves. Now I put on the gloves and went out to trim this morning. I was able to position my trash can so that I didn't have to grab a rose stem with even a gloved hand because the thorn can go through the glove. I had a twinge of pain in my mind from looking at the thorns. I wanted to trim the roses but the thorns are a very strong reality. Life is like that. I want to have beautiful things. I want to enjoy the good things without any possible suffering. My Bible reminds me that all humans suffer, but what kind of suffering do you want? To suffer for something worthwhile or suffer from running away from all beautiful relationships. To become real, the Velveteen rabbit says you have to have some of your hair loved off. That's life.



Mark 8.
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

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