Why God Allows Pain

Working as a nurse, I am always a witness to other people’s sufferings especially those afflicted with serious illnesses.

 

Just last night, my heart just sank whenever I enter the room of my Filipino rectal cancer patient. His bowels came out continuously from his excoriated behind. He screamed in pain whenever the bowels came in contact with the wounds on his buttocks, and whenever he needed to be cleaned. His pain relievers just did not do their wonders.

 

I sometimes ask God why He allows pain and suffering in this world – why others need to undergo very difficult trials in their lives.

 

Searching for an answer, I found this story in my inbox, forwarded by a cousin who now works in Canada. I think this is one of the best explanations that I have seen why God allows pain and suffering.

 

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.
As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:
“I don’t believe that God exists.”

                             

“Why do you say that?” asked the customer. “Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn’t exist.

Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?
Would there be abandoned children? 

God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.

I can’t imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.”
The customer thought for a moment, but didn’t respond because he didn’t want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.   

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.
He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:
“You know what? Barbers do not exist.”
“How can you say that?” asked the surprised barber.
“I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!”
“No!” the customer exclaimed. “Barbers don’t exist because
if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.”

 

“Ah, but barbers DO exist! That’s what happens when people do not come to me.”

“Exactly!” affirmed the customer. “That’s the point! God, too, DOES exist!
That’s what happens when people do not go to Him and don’t look to Him for help.
That’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world.” 

 

 

I sat down with my patient when I found the time during the wee hours of the night shift. He said that he’s been battling with his cancer for almost half of his life. He’s fifty-six years old, and so I could just imagine how much this man has gone through.

 

But despite all these pain, he still manages to think about his family in the Philippines – how he could possibly send money to his children who are still studying in college. He still thinks about sending support to one of his son, who has dropped out from school and got married without his knowledge.

 

He may not know it, but he has become an inspiration of courage and faith to me.