OPINION —
I grew up realizing that we all live in a world of tribulation. My pastors reminded me that Jesus had assured us life would not be easy when he said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33, NKJV).
Tribulation became more than a word when the doctor said to me and my wife, “Your son has a fatal disease, leukemia, and there is no cure for it.” During the following months, my wife and I learned firsthand the meaning of suffering.
Modern translations of John 16:33 help us understand better the meaning of the word tribulation. For example, this is the rendering of that word in the New Living Translation: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on Earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Yes, you do not live long in the world until you experience “trials and sorrows.” Katherine Wolf affirms this in her inspiring book about suffering, “Treasures in the Dark.” Katherine calls suffering “the dark stuff,” but she has learned through her own pain and that of others that we can “find bright hope hidden in the hurting.”
If you want to find helpful ways to cope with your own trials and sorrows, read Katherine’s book. Her insights have blessed me in a hundred different ways. She is a modern example of how one may find in weakness the power of Christ — not merely to survive but to use one’s suffering to comfort others who are hurting. Katherine not only understands Paul’s teaching about suffering; she has experienced it in her own life:
“Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
When she was 26, Katherine suffered a catastrophic brain stem stroke. She survived but was left with life-altering disabilities. As she struggled with the darkness of her disabilities, she happened to read Isaiah 45:3, NLT — “And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness — secret riches. I will do this so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.”
After reading this verse, Katherine said, “It dawned on me: the darkest days of my suffering had taught me things that a pain-free life never could have. In the darkness, I experienced peace that transcended my circumstances. I rediscovered my worth apart from my ability.”
This led her to redefine darkness “as the place in which God’s light can shine most brightly.” She no longer had to be afraid of suffering and sorrow. This amazing discovery led Katherine and her husband Alex to create ways to reach out to others struggling with disabilities and invite them to find, in their own darkness, hidden treasures of God’s gifts and graces. Together, Katherine and Alex have a remarkable ministry of offering hope and help to families faced with life-altering disabilities.
In one of her reflections in “Treasures in the Dark,” Katherine uses a phrase that resonates breathtakingly with one of my own discoveries as I have struggled in the darkness of grief: “When pain gives way to compassion.” I love that because God has taught me that compassion for others who are hurting is one of the pathways out of the pain of grief. Here are Katherine’s words:
“I am learning that God’s kingdom, as it exists here and now, is not a place free of pain. It’s a place where pain has given way to compassion. When my hurts can be a part of your healing, the pain can feel more like a privilege.”
Katherine is on target with what God has taught me. Truly, when pain gives way to compassion, God is at work, shining his light into my darkness, and restoring hope for me and those to whom I am offering my loving kindness.
So I can say to Katherine, with joy: As this principle is true for you, it is true for me also. Thank you, Katherine, for reminding me, and all your readers, that bright hope and other treasures can be found hidden in the darkness of our hurting. May our Lord Jesus bless all those whose lives you touch as your own pain continues to give way to compassion.
