What punishments of God are not gifts?

“I learned to love the things in which I wished did not happen.” – Stephen Colbert

I’ve never really followed Colbert so I didn’t have an opinion either way. With that said, his interview with Anderson Cooper reminded me of a conversation with my friend Kyle awhile back. 

We had been discussing the ensuing months after Cameron passed away. I mentioned that a lot of wonderful things came out of the suffering. It made me uncomfortable to say it at first but it’s most definitely the way life works. 

I met who is now my partner at Fountain Forward because of losing Cameron.

Losing my Godfather brought my cousin Nick into my life in a way that would have never been possible without the memorial party.

My father having a major health episode brought me back home for much of the summer every year. I work out of their basement and while we don’t spend a ton of time together, I see them multiple times a day every single day!

What punishments of God are not gifts? Colbert said. 

I sat there on my flight back to Houston and just started to cry after I heard that quote. It’s amazing how true it really is. Oftentimes I believe it’s so difficult to get past the suffering that I end up missing the gifts in which God puts all around us. 

Listen, I’m not certain what type or form of God that I believe in but I do believe there is one. Assuming I’m right, and that there is a God, I find it hard to believe he doesn’t know what he is doing. I believe that there will always be some “good” coming my way. 

Seems like Newton’s Third Law applies really well here. 

“For every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction.”

I’m a believer. – SJ