That_____________________________and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death.

Phil.3:10

The first half of the above verse, intentionally omitted, is readily familiar and oft quoted. The latter portion is like an orphan, neglected and forgotten.

Nobody, with the possible exception of Paul who gloried in tribulations, likes to suffer.

Nevertheless, suffering like trouble is an unavoidable part of the human experience.

Moreover, our maturity and development, is determined by our reaction and attitude to pain and sorrow.

Rich or poor, high or low, Christian or infidel if you have not become intimately involved with suffering, one day you will be. That is the lot of every human being.

It was recently reported that the 27-year-old son of Rick Warren committed suicide. Rick Warren, you may recall, is the pastor of Saddleback community church and the author of the best seller The Purpose Driven life. Suffering, my friends, is a universal, equal opportunity agent, all inclusive, and does not regard your position or station in life.

Since an engagement is inevitable, we must develop and foster an optimistic attitude to ensure that we are still relatively intact when we have passed through our day on the potter's wheel of life.

I realize that suffering and sacrifice is inconvenient and uncomfortable. To spend time in a difficult place, I understand, is not a pleasurable condition. However, if one is an apt student during our period in "death valley," we will learn valuable lessons which will prove to be profitable. It has been truly said, "life is like a grindstone, it can grind you down or polish you up." While waiting our turn to ascend the next mountain top, we can build character, acquire endurance and garner empathy for our fellow man.

The,"Let them eat cake" mentality will disappear from our vocabulary and we will grasp what it is like to walk in their shoes. We will become more Christlike, patient, humble, a better high priest and a better human being. On reaching the other side, you will discover that you can agree with the psalmist who declared, "It was good for me that I had been afflicted."

Think for a moment about anyone who has achieved anything noteworthy, good, beautiful or beneficial. From Joshua to Jesus, from Michaelangelo to Mandela, they all had to go through some "stuff."

The legendary bluesmen of the Mississippi delta called it "paying their dues." Their songs and lyrics were testimonies to their anguish. They were tales of unrequited love, unfaithful spouses, broken dreams and empty pockets with poignant lines such as, "nobody loves me but my mother and she may be jiving."

They became famous and renowned by turning a negative condition into a positive experience. The great artist Michaelangelo was keenly aware, while painting the Sistine Chapel, before you arrive at the point of "ecstasy" on completion, you must undergo the "agony" of toil and effort.

Resurrection and redemption are preceded by the crucifixion.

The road to Pharoah's house passes through Pharoah's prison.

The bachelor's degree will only be had after 4 years of rigorous classwork.

The Promised Land will only be occupied after enduring forty years in the desert.

Discard the "why me" question while going through your "time." No answer will be forthcoming nor will one suffice. Also it indicates a sense of elitism, arrogance, desire for special treatment and a level of immaturity. Christ has warned us,"the servant is not greater than the master." If he suffered, so will we.

The best you can hope for is an accommodation with your circumstance, and peace in your soul while the "sea billows roll."

Art Linkletter, host of Kids Say the Darndest Things, sagely observed, "Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out."

We will overcome if we endure to the end.

Furthermore, those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ are possessors of an abiding assurance. It is an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the uncertain currents of life swirl around us.

The good thing is that suffering is not eternal.

One joyous bright day all sorrow and mourning will flee away.

He has promised us, "If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him."

So with our eyes firmly focused on the prize, we press forward becoming ever so familiar with the following refrain:

"Some through the waters, some through the flood, Some through the fire, but all through the blood; Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song ,in the night season and all the day long."

V. Knowles is a husband and father with an interest in penning issues that serve to uplift mankind. He melds his love for Classic literature, The Bible and pop culture - as sordid as it may be - into highly relatable columns of truth, faith and justice. Hence the name: Just Thinking. If he's not buried in a book or penning his next column, you may find him pinned to his sectional watching a good old Country and Western flick.