Suffering is your choice as much as any other. And if you can choose suffering, you can also choose the absence of it. The absence of suffering is not indifference, for indifference is its own level of suffering or pretense that suffering is not.

The absence of suffering is joy. Even the most muted joy is better than the greatest suffering. Suffering is not more worthy than joy. Certainly, it is not essential. And, yet, it points you to joy. But you don't have to have a pointer. You can go directly to joy.

Joy has its own neutrality. It is not dependent upon the world. It does not exist only in one place and not another. Joy is a constant when you allow it, when you don't interfere with it.

You are a bubble of joy on Earth who is misinformed, that's all. You thought you were pain personified. You thought you were a walking heartache. You have even thought you were here on earth to suffer, as if suffering were your purpose.

Suffering is denial of your Truth.

Accept the Truth of you, and suffering fades into the background. It takes its leave like a court jester backing out of the King's chamber.

You do not have to accept suffering. Suffering is a kind of sufferance. You do not have to endure it. Even when you mourn, you know there is an end to it. If grieving can end later, it can end now, why not? Suffering is a decision you make. You don't have to make a decision for it. A decision is made from alternatives, and there are great alternatives to suffering.

What do you think you deserve? You must think you deserve suffering or you would not hold on to it. Do you think that if you did not suffer, you would not exist? You do not need to identify with suffering.

It is said that suffering makes you stronger. I say, know your strength now and then you won't value suffering so highly.

You can offer your suffering to Me to take away from you, but do not lay down your suffering before Me as an offering in honor of Me. Honor Me with joy. I do not take your suffering as a gift. I do not ask for it. Suffering is not what I ask from you. Suffering is not proof of your mettle. Did you think it was?

Perhaps the world offers great temples of suffering to Me, but suffering makes a beggar of you, and beggars cannot be choosers, and so you accept whatever crumbs the world tosses at you. Suffering makes you less fussy, and so you accept that which you would not accept in joy.

Yet joy transcends fussiness altogether. When you are in joy, what outer event can trample you? What are you particular about when your heart is filled with joy? Joy is power; suffering isn't. There is no glory in suffering. Get that idea out of your mind.

Stop believing in suffering, for you have believed in it strongly.

Believe in something else.

Suffering does not make you a hero. You don't need suffering in order to be a hero.

Do not think that suffering made Christ what he was. Christ would have suffered had he not chosen Me. If he had not recognized My choice of him, he would have suffered.

I have chosen you as well. So choose Me back.

Do you possibly think that you were created against My Will? I chose you, and I chose you for great things.

Suffering is such a small aberration that you have made big. I certainly did not choose you for suffering.

Now you can let go of suffering, and you do not need to renew it. Suffering does not make you more. Anyone can suffer if they choose. It is no great accomplishment.

Abandon suffering, and you serve Me well.

About time. Make time your own. Make sure that you choose your time. Do not let time be imposed upon you. Do not impose it upon yourself. When you follow your heart, you do not get tired, for, when you follow your heart, you enter timelessness.

Yours is not to be hurried. But yours is not to seek comfort alone. Comfort is not the purpose of your life.

Seek not to hurry nor to be slow. Seek to know your heart and, therefore, the One Who resides within.