Death and Taxes: As the saying goes, the only things in life that are guaranteed are death and taxes. Those of us on the spiritual journey can add one more guarantee to that auspicious list - suffering.

Jesus told his disciples that in this life, they would experience trouble - pain, loss, grief, hardship, and suffering. But, he said, take heart! for I have overcome the world. I used to wonder what that meant. What does Jesus overcoming the world have anything to do with the suffering I experience? What I learned (and am still learning) is that Jesus was giving us a model, a blueprint, for how to suffer well. Why? Because suffering is an essential, immutable part of the spiritual life. Author and pastor, Pete Scazerro teaches that God uses grief and loss to expand our souls and cause needed growth. As such, suffering and loss is not something to simply endure with a white knuckle grip and gritted teeth. Suffering is an opportunity to imitate Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection into new life. It is a chance to see with a spiritual lens, to surrender and even participate with the work God wants to do in and through our lives. As wild as it sounds, the suffering we experience in life is in fact necessary, good, and - dare I say - hopeful.