What A Pain!

Have you ever experienced constant pain?  Those who haven’t, can’t relate.  I know some people who live with it all the time.  When my mom was in her latter years, she experienced it and did not want to miss even one pain pill because she knew where that would lead.  Older people are often thought of as being crabby and cranky.  The younger set cannot understand and is often short on patience when it comes to dealing with the “elderly”.  But, how pleasant would you be if you were in pain 24/7?  A friend told me recently that she noticed she had become very short with people and she was mystified by it.  Later in the conversation, she told me about a fall she had taken and how she was experiencing chronic back pain.  Gee, do you think maybe the two are related???

Pain does have a purpose.  It notifies us that something is wrong,  After the notification and we attempt to “fix” the problem, we would like to delete the message and move on.  But, it doesn’t always work that way.  So, what are we to learn?

I asked myself that question as my elbow flared up unexpectedly and eventually reverberated into my shoulder and wrist.  Since I am spoiled and have had pretty good health, this did not sit well with me.  I was ready for it to move out immediately, if not sooner.  But, suffering (which is relative) gives us a new perspective.  🙂   Or, at least, it can.  My eight-year old granddaughter has been through more surgeries than I can count.  Serious  surgeries.  Does she enjoy going to the hospital and enduring yet another test or operation?  Of course not, but she knows nothing else and I marvel every time at her stamina and grit.  So, what’s a little aching in an arm?

It’s definitely a pain – being in pain.  Who wants it?  But, perhaps there are lessons to be learned.   How blessed we are.  How wonderful is the gift of life.  Family.  Friends.  How we look forward to the day when there will be no more pain or sorrow or suffering.  That day is coming, though we know not when.  Pain gives us an opportunity to offer comfort to someone else who surely has it worse than we;  because of our pain, we may now have a greater understanding of their plight and be able to empathize and offer comfort.  That blesses both individuals:  the one receiving the comfort and understanding and the one who offers it, by looking beyond his or her own circumstances.

So, then, besides pain as a notification, it also serves as a tool to teach us something and perhaps get us out of ourselves and our situation and focus on the needs of others.  How can that be anything but good?

Paul prayed for his thorn in the flesh to be removed.  It wasn’t.  But, he was given the strength to endure.  “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9).  It may seem otherwise, but what is now will not always be.  So, hang in there!

“For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.”  (Romans 8:18)