Spiritual Pain

“Why me?” is the cry I hear most often in my work as a hospice chaplain. I’m not a theologian, but through my encounters with people who are elderly, disabled, dying, and bereaved - and through my own quest for peace - Jesus’ teachings known as the Beatitudes have become essential. They describe the attributes of God’s people: God is with those who suffer, those beaten down by life and rejected by the world.

We all suffer, but if you struggle with why that is and how to find the hope and strength to go on, this book is for you. Ryan shares his journey from the darkest depths of hysterical sadness to acceptance, understanding, and joy. He explores the purpose of suffering and shows you how to gain from it. He does this not on a grand humanity level, but on a vulnerable, personal level, with unique insights that will make a difference in how you live and how you approach death.

The apostle Peter described faith as "much more precious than gold that perishes". As gold passes through purifying fire, so Peter says a man's faith must be tried in order that it "might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:7). While we address the crises in our lives that try our faith, we rarely praise God the way Job did, and we rarely submit ourselves to the purifying fire as Peter suggests.

One of the greatest questions of life is, Why do God's children have to suffer? In Why Life Hurts see that question answered in a short, precise, easy-to-understand manner. The purpose of this book is to help those who are perplexed by the frequent and systematic occurrence of pain, suffering, and evil. Understand the beautiful picture God is painting with the diverse circumstances that color our lives.