I have had two conversations in the past couple days with two completely different people blessed with the same perspective gained from painful experiences. One is a successful business owner who just suffered the painful loss of a son and the other is a lady on disability because of a 29 year drug addiction. She told me a gruesome story riddled with drug addiction and alcohol abuse that has lead to personal injury and a wrecked family. He shared how the slow loss of his son changed him emotionally through the pain but in another breath said " God did it" "he is in a better place" "I would be selfish to want him back and not want him to be in heaven away from the pain and suffering of this world". She said "It is a miracle I am alive and I want the world to know about my Jesus and how He saves people". When talking to these amazing people it was obvious how real heaven is to them. I want that perspective of hope but I don't want to go through what they went through.

3Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.