It is hard when things that we intend for good turn out to be terrible. But Jesus is the Messiah who came to redeem us lost and broken sinners and bring us into God’s kingdom. Loved and encouraged by Jesus in the midst of our emptiness and suffering, we become more like him. Enlivened and directed by him, we step into the opportunities he gives us to love and encourage others who suffer. (Based on Mark 8:27-38.)