Life Is Hard

I do not fear death, I fear this life.
     Death has no sting and no terror
     For Jesus rose again.
          But this life is hard.
               Pain every second of my day
                    Weakness, exhaustion, insomnia, headache
                    Worry, temptation, failure, fear
                    Loneliness and depression
          God so far away and silent.
               He is near not far.
               He is quiet not silent.
          Be still my soul and hope in God.
               If I suffer more and more til the day I die
               Then death will be freedom
                    And Heaven will be Heaven.

Poetic Justice or a Mere Fable?

Happiness is a minute without pain.
It's an hour without sadness and
a day without loneliness.

     It's not so much an abundance of good things as
          it is an absence of bad.

People are swimming in good things but not happy.

But give a man who knows nothing but hardship one good thing, any good thing, and he is truly happy  - and thankful.

Lazarus had no good thing in his life - a beggar, an outcast, a sick and hungry man whose only comfort was the licking of his pores by stray dogs.  When he died he went to Paradise.  Paradise!  What would it mean to be sick and full and free from pain and no longer alone?

The rich man wouldn't have appreciated Heaven even if he had gotten there.  It would be little better than his palace on earth.  And for his lack of compassion on pathetic Lazarus at his gates, he would suffer torments in hades forever.

Poetic justice?  Yes.  A mere fable?  The rich and hard hearted of the world better hope so.  If the rich man had fed and clothed and shared his home with Lazarus he would have made a friend and reserved a place in Paradise, too.

But judgement day will turn the tables on many in this world.  The first shall be last and the last shall be first.  The first can be first too but they must sell what they have and give to the poor - then they'll have treasure in Heaven.

It is not what you earn, but what you give that really counts.