Real Hope: Peace in the ChaosSample

Are We Only Meant To Suffer In This Life

Sometimes we need something outside of ourselves to help us get back up from a painful experience. The book Penguin Bloom is about an orphaned magpie and a response to life’s hardships. After a tragic holiday accident in Thailand, Sam Bloom was left paralyzed below the waist. This life-altering injury had a ripple effect that reverberated throughout her world. One day, their son Noah brought home a young magpie that had fallen out of its nest. Her son kept the bird to care for it until it could fly, and decided to name her Penguin. This eventually led to a connection that would lead to healing and peace in the Bloom household, and Sam eventually reclaimed her life from her circumstances.

The difficulties in life can make us better in the end. Job’s remarkable story gives us a glimpse into a similar experience and how there can be more significant reasons behind the challenges of life that may not all be explained in this lifetime. Our life’s tribulations can potentially bless others and honour God.

If life seems to be filled with difficulties, there are answers and peace in God’s Word. Take time to read through Peter’s epistles. He was a man who suffered loss, betrayal and hardship, but went on to live a faithful life. This follower of Jesus realized that hardships were part of life and he merely needed to learn how to respond to them through God’s strength and guidance. 

Written by RUSS MATTHEWS