Suffering

[hafunny]

I have a friend who is going through a hard time trying to find the answer to why his dogs had to suffer. I told him some truths, that God does care, that they didn't suffer for nothing, that eternity lasts so much longer than this life, and that I believed dogs do go to heaven. He mentioned one of his dogs he didn't put down and she fought for 4-5 months to stay alive. "She fought so hard. I could see it in her eyes." And I told him that she likely fought for him, that she wanted to enjoy his presence for as long as she could, because she loved him and that to her, he was her world.

I also told him that no matter what I say, I don't know if I can give him an answer to that. At least not one that will satisfy him. He reminded me months ago that he had asked me the same question. "Why is there suffering? Why must people or animals suffer? What's the point?" He got the job he has to pay for his dog's vet bills. That was the only reason he got the job, and he would take what little payment he got to pay for the dog. And then in the end the dog, who he thought would live through it all, died anyways. And then his other dog died as well.

He told me he has been trying to figure out the answer to his question this whole time. Everyday. "Why did my dog have to suffer?" And I know what I said was true, but I want to help in some other way too, but I don't think I can help in any other way. So at the end I also told him that I'd pray for him and check up on him later.


So, I don't know if you guys have any thoughts on this or not. The only conclusion I can come to is I gotta leave it to him and God. I guess I'm just annoyed that I cannot do more than I'm already doing. Or that I don't know what else I can do.  

[cristobela]

hafunny

I have a friend who is going through a hard time trying to find the answer to why his dogs had to suffer. I told him some truths, that God does care, that they didn't suffer for nothing, that eternity lasts so much longer than this life, and that I believed dogs do go to heaven. He mentioned one of his dogs he didn't put down and she fought for 4-5 months to stay alive. "She fought so hard. I could see it in her eyes." And I told him that she likely fought for him, that she wanted to enjoy his presence for as long as she could, because she loved him and that to her, he was her world.

I also told him that no matter what I say, I don't know if I can give him an answer to that. At least not one that will satisfy him. He reminded me months ago that he had asked me the same question. "Why is there suffering? Why must people or animals suffer? What's the point?" He got the job he has to pay for his dog's vet bills. That was the only reason he got the job, and he would take what little payment he got to pay for the dog. And then in the end the dog, who he thought would live through it all, died anyways. And then his other dog died as well.

He told me he has been trying to figure out the answer to his question this whole time. Everyday. "Why did my dog have to suffer?" And I know what I said was true, but I want to help in some other way too, but I don't think I can help in any other way. So at the end I also told him that I'd pray for him and check up on him later.


So, I don't know if you guys have any thoughts on this or not. The only conclusion I can come to is I gotta leave it to him and God. I guess I'm just annoyed that I cannot do more than I'm already doing. Or that I don't know what else I can do.

We suffer when God's creation has been interacted with in a sinful way (in ways that are disobedient to God's instructions / God's Way of doing things), ergo inviting corruption, disease, and death into the world. Everything he ever instructs is to prevent death, loss, and calamity. But humans don't obey (and apparently angels have disobeyed too). And that has led, and still leads to, innocent casualties—like the death of our pet dogs, people decaying and aging, and eventually dying, and all of creation groaning.

Until God restores all things, this suffering is the reminder for why we shouldn't sin.

That has been the case since he cursed the earth: God made Adam and Eve live on a cursed earth (where they experience all kinds of suffering: toiling for food, feeling the loss of a murdered son, the death of animals, animals devouring each other, etc...) just like he makes us—their descendants—live on a cursed earth, so that we learn firsthand: this is why we must not transgress God's commands, because we, and the rest of creation, live in suffering when we do.

I think people forget: the cursed earth is punishment. It's not suppose to be vacation or paradise, but toil, death and heartbreak. Whatever moments of joy we have thank God for them, because we don't deserve them. We messed up. Until God restores all things, all of Adam and Eve's descendants have to live with reminders of our ancestor's acting / living contrary to God's Way. And a lot of the suffering we still cause ourselves (when we continue to interact in ways that are contrary to how God designed us to behave: when we cheat, lie, steal, murder, overwork people to exhaustion and/or death, act out of malice, gluttony, cowardice, rage, greed, and unrestrained lust).

I would not have gone as far as telling him what the dog was thinking or what happens to his dog after death. That is information only God knows.

• Jeremiah 17:10 (NIV)
  
  10 “I the Lord search the heart
  and examine the mind,
  to reward each person according to their conduct,
  according to what their deeds deserve.”
  
  
  
• Ecclesiastes 3:21 (NIV)
  
  21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

If you made that clear to him, that this place, in the current condition it is in, is not really suppose to be for our enjoyment, but is part of our punishment, then yeah, I would leave it up to God. Plant the seed and allow God to orchestrate circumstances that will make him realize the truth and trust in God's word.  

[Meili Kyumee Youichi]

{Praying}

"“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” In His providence, God orchestrates every event in our lives—even suffering, temptation and sin—to accomplish both our temporal and eternal benefit."

http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-suffering.html