EARTH SUIT SUFFERING

In one of my recent blog posts I explored the different kinds of suffering a Christian might go through which the apostle Peter describes in his first letter.

One kind is the testing of God to transform us into the image of Christ by sharing in His suffering. A second kind of suffering is for wrongdoing—we don't want that kind since we deserve it through our own actions. A third is suffering of the persecution kind specifically because we are followers of Jesus. The fourth is suffering despite our righteous actions, simply that we have done right.

There is a fifth kind: suffering in our mortal bodies because of our humanity—pain, illness, disease, aging and all that is related to our flesh. Our “earth suit” (our human body) feels pain. Our plight is the residual result of the fall of man from the perfect state in which God created mankind (and womankind) when sin entered the world. Jesus went about healing people's earth suits to restore them to health while He was on earth.

In the Scriptures God refers to the body as a temporary dwelling, a temple, a building, a sanctuary, a house, and an earthen vessel. We are simply clay pots but we carry within us our eternal souls and the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. In a sense, each individual lives in a pup tent, a small temporary, perishable covering for our flesh. It is the fragile tent aspect with which we are the most familiar and which can suffer illness and pain. God fashioned our bodies from clay. 

"Dust we are and to dust we return" as we were reminded dramatically this week with a cross of ashes traced on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season. 

God created and so loves these clay bodies of ours that He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins to restore our relationship with Him. Moreover, God has plans for those clay pots to be transformed into a wonderful new eternal form eventually. Our clay bodies are not simply disposable. Meanwhile, we have to deal realistically with this imperfect often hurting but serviceable earth suit which God issued to each of us at birth.

I devoted two serious chapters to the problem of suffering in this fifth way in the third book of my autobiographical Trilogy, THE LAND OF MORE series. The chapters were “Concerning My Earth Suit” and “Earth Suit Adjustments.” The book's title is: STILL MORE! Flourishing on my Summit. Living Our Vintage Season. I explored in depth what should be the Christian's response to suffering in our human flesh and the meaning of suffering in the purpose and plan of God. My book went to press and many people enthusiastically purchased copies.

THEN WE EXPERIENCED A FLOOD!

NO, NOT A HURRICANE KIND OF OUTDOOR FLOOD!

IT WAS A LEAKING WATER HEATER IN OUR BASEMENT WHERE MY BOOK STOCK IS STORED!
....AND THERE WERE ONLY A FEW INCHES OF WATER ON THE FLOOR.

We didn't know about the incident right away since we don't regularly check down there. It happened that the cases of my above mentioned book had not yet been elevated to higher shelving. Although it doesn't rate as a catastrophe, it was a serious loss of my book stock. Several cases of my STILL MORE! books were badly water soaked and had to be disposed of, a couple of cases were only slightly damaged but unable to be sold, and several cases, thank God, were still untouched by water.

FLOOD INSURANCE? The deductible was too high...SO...

I want to recover my losses by blessing others! 

I want to give away copies of my 307 page only slightly water-spotted STILL MORE! books FREE OF CHARGE for the asking. Simply email me (leonachoy@gmail.com) your address and ask for the book. If you can cover the postage by economical Media Mail, I would appreciate it, but I will refuse no request, whether you wish to cover the postage cost or not.

Along with your order of any of my other books during 2017, if you'd like to have a copy of a less-than-perfect STILL MORE! book just ask for it and I'll include it FREE in your package. You are welcome to ask for additional free copies for your friends.

I believe you'll find that the chapters on "earth suit suffering" that I referred to above are more than worth the regular $12.95 price of the book. Other thought-provoking chapters in STILL MORE! are Climbing Toward My Summit, Exploring Summit Living, My View From the Summit, Life in My Summit Season, Maintaining My Balance, Summit Relationships, Storms and Adversities, Summit Meetings With God, In My Ordinary Time, Living At Eagle Summit, Music On My Summit, My Vintage Wordsmithing, Launching at Last.

Here's your copy!