5 Steps to Facing Suffering

Suffering can strike anyone at any time – an illness or accident, a separation or divorce, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job. No one would suggest that you should seek out suffering. And, no one would say that you should love suffering. In fact, suffering is not a being and, therefore, cannot be loved.

But, these five insights about suffering will help you consider the value of suffering in a new light. Guadagno shares stories of people who have lived through (or are still experiencing) suffering. She offers their examples of how to take a spiritual reality and put it into practice in a transformative way by: (1) facing the challenging question of why we suffer; (2) recognizing the presence of Jesus in people who suffer; (3) remaining in the present moment; (4) aligning yourself with Jesus who also suffered; and (5) entering into the suffering with an awareness of what’s on the other side. The wisdom of those who share their experiences here is a gift to anyone who wants to look at suffering with new eyes – in particular, with the eyes of a God who is Love and who chose to suffer precisely so that we could love one another more deeply.

Listen to an excerpt from the audio-book version: