The sacred ground of suffering

Suffering may be an inevitable part of our lives, but it is far from barren, far from fruitless, far from meaningless. Suffering is, indeed, sacred ground, for it is where we meet God.

The prophet Elijah sat beneath a juniper tree. He was suffering. His people were suffering. Elijah was overwhelmed and broken. We are overwhelmed and broken. This is fertile ground. This is sacred ground.

Elijah found out.

I found out.

You will find out, too.

Be willing to “come and see.” (John 1:39)

Welcome.

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“… remove thy sandals from thy feet, for this is holy ground …”

Exodus 3:5

Will you make the Juniper Pact?

  • I am ready to bring my suffering and the suffering of others to God.

  • I am ready to wrestle with God.

  • I am ready to voice my doubts, throw my rocks, and question.

  • I am ready, too, to listen, to consider, to allow the God I do find to change how I see, how I think, how I move in my corner of the world.

  • I will return here to consider, reflect, and pray.

Disclaimer:

Survivors of trauma are strongly cautioned to work with a qualified therapist. Words and images on this site, though carefully chosen, can be triggering, meaning they can bring to the surface buried feelings of rage, fear, confusion, etc. Visitors must agree to take precautions before viewing these pages. See Resources.

All the information published on this website, or in any article herein is true and accurate to the best of the author’s knowledge. Information on this site should not be a substitute for legal or therapeutic advice. No liability is assumed by the author for losses suffered by any person or organization relying directly or indirectly on information published on this site.