Blog post #8 Suffering

Blog Post #8 Suffering

1. In what ways did the people you learned about during this unit suffer? What was their reaction to their suffering?
   In the story of the Apostles Heal Many Acts 5: 12-41, Peter and other Apostles were imprisoned by a high priest for performing miracles on other people, which challenged the priest's authority and lead to their imprisonment. Imagine spreading the word of God as God would want you to and the be punished for this. Personally, my faith would definitely be tested, and being imprisoned in itself is psychologically challenging. In the story, if Lystra and Derbe, Paul the Apostle helped a crippled man walk with the power of God, but was confused by people for an actual god. Paul explained to the people that he was only a man with extraordinary powers given to him by God, but the people grew distraught and stoned him. The Apostles definitely suffered Mentally, emotionally, and physically.
2. Which story from the Acts of the Apostles did you find most inspiring and why?
   I found the story of the storm most inspiring because even as Paul and his men were faced with imminent death, they still looked to God for guidance and hope. Paul and his men became stranded at sea in a horrible storm while sailing to Rome. To save the ship, they had to throw all of their belonging and food overbored. The men faced days of starvation, dehydration, and were losing hope. An angel then appeared to Paul and said that he and his men would be saved by God and that to trust in their survival as God would save them. Even in the most helpless situations, God will find a way to help you, maybe even if you don't know that He is.
3. How have you experienced challenges in your own life and how have you dealt with them?
   I have faced the challenge of learning to accept defeat. growing up, I was always an incredibly accomplished kid who never truly experienced the feeling of losing at anything and did not understand the feeling of loss. Maybe I was lucky for that time in my life, but Freshman year was a huge challenge for me. I had been up for the lead role in last years school musical, and many of my older peers had told me that I was definitely getting the part. my confidence was so strong, and I was so excited that seniors thought that I was good enough for the part. Unfortunately, I ended up getting another part that was still big but not the part I initially wanted. I took this extremely hard and felt very bad about myself for a long time. However, I learned to appreciate what I had been given and stay grateful for the things that matter such as health, family, and my life.
4. Who are people that you can turn to in times of need and why?
   My mother is my number one supporter. She is the first person that I tell good news to, tell bad news too, ask for advice, complain about something too, or tell whenever something happens to me. My mother will always be there for me no matter what. I also turn to my best friends whenever I am having problems with my life. They are understanding, trustworthy, and altogether amazing people who truly care about my feelings and never ask that I suppress my emotions to them. I think people who display genuine concern for others are the best people to seek when you need emotional support.
   
   
   I chose this image to show that suffering, especially the way that I have experienced it, is very internal and stems from my own negative thoughts, doubts, and anxieties. Sometimes I feel that Living in such a hectic world is like living in a glass bubble that, no matter how hard you try, will not break open. The 21st century is pretty insane.
   
   
   
   Image Citation: 
   Johnson, Robert. “The Suffering of the Innocent.” Thesufferingoftheinnocents.com, 23 Feb. 2009, www.richarddawkins.net/2014/08/is-there-a-scale-of-suffering/.