Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/1439

1439 Various expressions of the will to live....

May 27, 1940: Book 23

People's will to live expresses itself in very different ways. A person often has to struggle with all kinds of dislike and inhibitions and this strongly depresses his will to live, while others are seized by such a strong will to live and this manifests itself in cheerfulness and joy in life. Good or bad circumstances need not always be decisive for such a different expression of the will to live, but these are mostly the impulses of the soul, which adapts itself to earthly life less well or also better, but inwardly feels its predicament on earth, its unfree state more or less and this is therefore expressed in the will or unwillingness to live. This is why many a soul has to fight a very hard battle before it is redeemed, even though it endeavours to live in accordance with God's will. Sometimes it has to bear suffering that is not outwardly recognizable as such, it is exposed to exceptionally gloomy moods, it has to summon up all its willpower to overcome these depressed moods. Whereas other people have little to suffer from mental depression and are only in a depressed mood when they are faced with real suffering and worries. However, they also overcome these quickly and are always life-affirming. These souls feel at ease on earth, but they also allow themselves to be captivated by the charms of this world and are often in danger of falling victim to it. The soul's state of maturity also plays a major role here. A person in a higher state of maturity finds no edification on earth, his soul longs away towards its true home. Although it is not quite aware of its longing, life on earth is a state of torment for it and the lack of freedom weighs heavily on it. Such an earth child must very often take refuge in prayer, otherwise it can hardly bear its life on earth. Time and again it has to pray for strength for the path through the earthly valley, and in profound faith it also has to take all difficulties upon itself out of love for the saviour; people have to constantly strive towards the spiritual, then earthly life will be easier to bear for them, they will patiently submit to every sending from above and longingly look forward to the hour of release from bodily fetters, and the soul's exit from the bodily shell will be its liberation from all hardship....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers