Our
Lord Jesus Christ is instructing us thus....
Give Me the gift of a
brave and thankful heart.
Man proves his greatness by
his power to see causes for thankfulness in his life.
When life seems hard, and troubles crowd, then very definitely look for
causes for thankfuness.
The sacrifice, the offering
of thanksgiving, is indeed a sweet incense going up to Me
through the busy day.
Seek diligently for the something to be glad and thankful about in
every happening, and soon no
search will be required.
The causes for joy and gratitude will spring to greet your loving
hearts.
miguel de
Portugal comments: Such
act -
the offering of
thanksgiving to God even in the midst of suffering -
yields what
probably is
amongst the greatest pleasures a human can experience - yet I
cannot explain it.
It is as unexplainable as finding consolation in having to endure some
suffering that God needs us to endure - not for us - but for others.
From personal experience all I can explain is that:
The physical suffering is there - maybe
even the source can be seen - yet the feeling inside is not of
suffering but of joy.
This
does not apply
to
self inflicted
bodily suffering; any form of
masochism is not of God. We are referring to suffering that God assigns
us and to which we have availed ourselves
as willing cooperators
to His
Plan of Redemption.