by Iris Lamb

Created on: January 19, 2011

I think this is something that all of us have wondered at one point or another in our lives. We all know these fortunate people that seem to have it all. They are attractive, smart, funny, have a great relationship, wonderful kids, great jobs, enough money and lots and lots of, well, stuff. We look at them and think:"Man, they have it all... God must really love them." And then we look at ourselves, and we seem to always be a day late and a dollar short. We have all the misfortune in the world. And we start to wonder if God even likes us, let alone loves us.

Let me share with you a short, very personal story. I am a Catholic revert, I was born and raised Catholic but fell away in my teens. I found my way back in the fall of 2009, and life was good. I got pregnant with my third child in April of 2010 and I was on top of the world. A week later my husband lost his job and couldn't find a new one, and three months later I lost our baby. We were out of money, out of savings, and pretty close to being out of options. At that point, I looked up at the sky and said:"Why do You hate me so much? What did I ever do to You?"

I never had a crisis of faith, because I never doubted for a moment that God exists. What I doubted, was His mercy, His "justness", if you will. It took five months for me to find my way back to God that time. The first time it took 20 years, so I take that to mean I am making progress. It was a rough time though. I remember clearly standing at the edge of the playground at my daughter's school, talking to a friend, and saying:"I don't doubt God loves me, but I don't think He likes me very much,"

In Old Testament times, up until the moment when Jesus entered the picture and started His public ministry, this was the way people viewed God. If you had a lot of bad luck, it was because you had sinned. Suffering was a punishment from God. It took the Incarnation, Jesus dwelling among us, to change the perspective. Jesus taught that God loves all of us. Not just the rich, the fortunate, the healthy. But also the poor, the sick, the miserable. Suffering can be a way to get closer to God. Pair your cross to Jesus', and know that He suffers right along with you. Redemptive suffering is the belief that God can bring good out of a bad situation. That your pain and your misery may be used either for your own redemption and purification, or for the good of another. That is what Catholics try to achieve when they "offer up their suffering". It is a way to try and give a lousy break a positive spin.

Sounds a lot easier said that done, right? It is. I have been working hard at this concept over the past few months, and I am making progress. But I still have days that I feel sorry for myself. And after doing that for a bit, whining, crying, complaining or moping, I pick myself up by my boot straps. And then I tell myself to get over it, to remember what is truly important. God loves all of us. All of us, no matter what we do or don't do. He wants nothing more than for all of us to join Him in heaven. But He set some rules that you need to stick to. And ultimately, those are not really all that hard to follow.

In the end, it's really quite simple. Remember He loves you. Just as much as that rich, good-looking guy next door that has it all. You don't know what crosses that seemingly lucky person has to bear. You can't peek into someone's heart or mind. Wish this person well, try to let go of the envy. And then pick up your own personal cross and start walking.

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