On the drive to church

I love this. C.S. Lewis, still pondering a conversation from the previous night with his friend J.R.R. Tolkien, got into the sidecar of his brother Warnie's motorcycle for a trip to the zoo: "When I set out I did not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did." That's as precisely as he could explain it. Surely God is sometimes more like a whisper than a thunderclap.

I had such a moment last week. I was driving to church on Sunday when my mind happened upon a subject that gives me much pain. My usual reaction when that subject comes up is to cringe before the oncoming pain, and to hope it will finish with me quickly. But I experienced a breakthrough this time. It dawned on me-as if no one in the world had ever thought of this before-that I do not have to run from this pain. No, indeed. Rather than seeing it as something bad, I can use it for sanctification.

For you see, the good thing about pain-when it is not a symptom of a sin that must be dealt with but is just a "clean" pain-is that it gives you something to work with in your relationship with God. If you never had something to trust God with, you would not be better off. When you are conscious of no trouble in your life, the danger then is to drift from God. Suffering is opportunity. As often as you feel it, you can employ the push-back of faith: "Lord, this hurts. But I embrace it. I will handle it the way you say-without grumbling, without manipulation, without retaliation, with belief in your love and your ability to work all things for my good."

Honestly, I don't think I will ever be afraid of this particular emotional attack again. I know how to meet it now. It is not a threat but a chance to carry my cross daily and follow him (Luke 14:27).

Be on the lookout for breakthroughs in your car.

To hear commentaries by Andrée Seu, click here.