Feelings

Job is often accused of being miserable - well who wouldn't be. He had lost everything and was faced with the prospect of nothing except faith in God who he really does not understand anymore.

But despite this he will not come out and renounce God - something in him curbs his anger inside the lines of faith. Nevertheless his feelings are big and raw - chapter 3 is heart rending as he questions why he was not allowed to die at birth if now he is to face this sort of future,

These strong feelings are normal in the face of extreme suffering. Feelings - positive and negative are normal. What we do with them is important - but perhaps how we receive them from other people is equally important.

Our temptation in the age of the quick fix is to make them go away but if we look at the Bible we will see that people have been living through uncomfortable feelings for a very long time - it is a part of life that we all have to endure and, more importantly, help others through.

Of course, there comes a time when feelings become more than a reflection of the situation and then professional help is needed - but perhaps it is worth considering slowing down enough to live into our heights and depths just a little more - it has to be healthier in the long term - rather that hurrying through - carrying on and sticking all the big stuff in a corner where it sits, waiting to cause trouble.