thoughts for lent

O my forgetful soul,
Awake from thy wandering dream;
turn from chasing vanities,
look inward, forward, upward,
view thyself,
reflect upon thyself,
who and what thou art, why here,
what thou must soon be.
Thou art a creature of God,
formed and furnished by him,
lodged in a body like a shepherd in his tent;
Dost thou not desire to know God’s ways?
~Valley of Vision, Puritan Prayers

The Question of Pain (Again)

We don't hesitate to inoculate our children against disease, knowing full well that they will suffer pain in the process. Could it be that God allows us to experience pain in this life  as part of a treatment to inoculate us against an eternal disease of our soul?