Christina and I have our first pet.  Her name is Lily, and since the day we brought her home she’s been sick.

She’s an adorable Shorkie (Shih Tzu/Yorkshire Terrier), who is very well behaved for her age, is great with people, and very loving.  It was heartbreaking to see her struggling to keep food down, not eating and not drinking enough water.  We took her to the vet who has helped a lot with different methods of getting Lily the nutrients she needs.  

This morning after 3 days of being sick she began eating on her own again and taking an interest in water.  
What a relief it was to see her nibble her food on her own, a victory that Christina and I rejoiced in verbally.

I have been amazed at how this has affected me over the last 3 days.  It has been incredibly hard to focus on the every day.  Everything seemed less important than it usually does, and nothing came easy.  Whether it was opinions about some aspect of ministry, creative writing, or remembering who I was supposed to contact.  My mind kept drifting to my sick puppy and sad wife at home.  

As we come to know suffering we learn to harmonize with those who are suffering.  There are many who are struggling right now with pain, discomfort, emotional distress, or the loss of loved ones.  Somehow it never seems fair when we’re in the middle of it, and we’re tempted to ask, ‘why me?’  It seems to me; however, that everyone is in the same boat when it comes to suffering.  We all suffer, although differently and to differing degrees.  It is a part of life that we shrink away from and maybe even deny when we’re not right in the middle of it.  I wonder what that attitude does to our sensitivity of others who are suffering.  I think of the fear of hospitals that many people have, we feel uncomfortable around those who are weak when we are strong.  Isn’t that denying our own frailty and suffering, in fact, denying our human condition?  Paul writes that as Christians we are to: 

^“15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position,”  Romans 12.

Taken in the context of suffering, might this be a warning that, if we shield ourselves from thinking about suffering, we are being proud and unwilling to associate with people of low position (those suffering)?  Living in harmony with others involves tuning ourselves to their situation…entering into it enough so that we can be in tune with them and offer some harmony to their lives.  What a gift that can be as our enemy so often uses suffering to isolate us.  To make us believe that we are forgotten and alone. 

“Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.” Plato