Claim. When you know why you are suffering, you can meet the pain with joy, and the suffering loosens its grip.
Elaboration. Giving birth to her fourth child, the pastor began to sing at the peak of each contraction and found it ‘really helps me actually not be overwhelmed by the pain’ (Transcript, 38:50–38:55). She ties this to Reverend Chong’s teaching that prayer rises in levels — to pray is one level, to sing another, and to dance ‘the highest level of prayer’ (ibid, 39:03–39:14) — and draws the principle: ‘when you can find the purpose of why you’re suffering, you can be joyful about it. And when you can express that joy, the suffering isn’t so bad anymore’ (ibid, 39:17–39:27). Mid-labor she asked God how much longer and heard the number twelve; her son was born just after midnight as the clock read 12:12 (ibid, 39:58–41:14). ‘God really understands suffering,’ she concludes, and ‘suffering is not meant to be purposeless’ (ibid, 39:31; 42:21–42:28).
Significance. Purpose, not relief, is what makes suffering bearable — and, expressed as praise, even joyful.