Four Legs of the Stool
Using the Four Aspects of Our Humanity to Balance a Christian Life
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Speaking of joy after talking about suffering is a natural sequence of events. The end of suffering can only result in the discovery of joy. We are constantly bombarded with information on how to alleviate our suffering and find joy. Just think of all the ways the media tells us we can find joy. We are told to buy a new car, take a cruise, look like a movie star and even have lots of sex to experience joy and happiness. Each of these things may mimic joy for a short period of time but they will not bring lasting joy. Lasting joy is much more difficult to obtain and it involves letting go and not holding onto things.
When we are able to move from suffering to joy by letting go of whatever is causing our suffering, we make room in our lives for joy. For example, it was not until I was able to surrender my daughter to God's mercy that the pain of her loss began to diminish and make room for joy. Joy came in the form of remembering my daughter in joy-filled times and not in holding onto the feelings of loss.
Making room for joy in one's life means letting go of pain, disappointment, fear, hate, and essentially all the negative emotions that cripple and inhibit our ability to feel joy. This is sometimes a difficult thing to do and only comes when an individual is prepared to release control of their suffering in order to move forward along the continuum of their lives. Those who are unwilling or unable to give up control of their suffering become defined by it. We have all known people who go through life bitter and cold; unable to celebrate and feel gratitude for awaking each morning? All of us have experience with individuals who are negative and don't see the good in anything. Joy requires that we let go of the dark and seek out the light.
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About the Book
After losing her mother and her youngest daughter within three months of each other, author Sue
Boggler began using the lessons she had learned as a Christian nurse, wife, and mother to help her through this difficult and painful time in her life. She found herself asking such questions as “Why me?
Does God still love me? How can I survive this?” In the midst of her sorrow, she learned that these questions are common among those who grieve or are facing troubles; more than that, how we answer them has a great impact on our growth and development as human beings.
Personal growth is challenging, especially by today’s standards. In Four Legs of the Stool, Sue shares the lessons she learned and demonstrates how to apply them to our daily lives, offering thoughts, insights, and strategies for understanding these life lessons and striving to achieve personal development. She considers suffering, dying, healing, and joy; she explores how to survive when your world has changed irrevocably.
If you have ever felt alone, wondered if God was still with you during trials in your life, or wondered how you’d be able to go on after drastic changes in your life, Four Legs of the Stool will provide you with the thought-provoking answers that you need to carry on.
About the Author
L. SUE BOGGLER is a Christian wife, mother, grandmother, and registered nurse. She is a nationally certified infection preventionist and a member of St. Germaine Catholic Church. She currently resides in Prescott Valley, Arizona.