My focus over the last few weeks has been kind of a strange one. I have been spending my free time, and I have a lot of it, thinking about pain. On the physical side, it is easy to see my pain as a valuable asset. If you stuck your hand in the fire and there was no pain, you would probably leave it there until it was burnt to a crisp. Pain tells the body that there is something wrong. It is a road sign placed directly in our way. It works.
There is, however, a function for pain that goes deeper than just saying something is wrong. It is deeper and stronger. It’s the kind of pain that lasts and lasts and lasts. This kind of pain wraps itself around the fabric of your soul. It never lets go. Never lightens up. It just lingers in your mind and your heart an ever present personage who, once he came to visit, took up residency.
We have all had our share of cohabitating with pain. To endure we must grow in self-control and understanding of who is really in charge of the universe. If it won’t stop hurting, it won’t stop hurting. It is a shame that we cannot live up to our high school expectations. Most of us were convinced then that we would live forever, never suffer any real pain or failure and eventually die in a spectacular blaze of glory. Never was there consideration of the possibility that we might have great and long-lasting pain as a partner in life.
For those of us who are boomers, the transition from “the one who dies with the most toys wins” to “what do I do with all this junk?” was just the beginning of opening of our eyes. When our vision started to give out, and most of our teeth were capped, we began to see things a little differently, but we did not give up easily. Then along came arthritis or ulcers, torn muscles, balding, and an extra 40 pounds. The fix was in. Nobody was going to get out alive, and most of us were going to become well acquainted with pain.
Whenever I come to a fork in the road, and I just do not know which way to go, I always turn to the Scriptures. The answer does not jump off the pages as I read, but with a little work it comes slowly, when need presses through the fog in my brain and speaks to me. As I have walked with great pain over the last few years, my question has been a simple one: “How do I deal with you? How do I keep your influence from controlling my behavior?” The answer to this question can be summed up in a few words. Do not take yourself too seriously. It will probably get worse tomorrow and today will look pretty good.
Rom 5:1-5Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
There is, however, a function for pain that goes deeper than just saying something is wrong. It is deeper and stronger. It’s the kind of pain that lasts and lasts and lasts. This kind of pain wraps itself around the fabric of your soul. It never lets go. Never lightens up. It just lingers in your mind and your heart an ever present personage who, once he came to visit, took up residency.
We have all had our share of cohabitating with pain. To endure we must grow in self-control and understanding of who is really in charge of the universe. If it won’t stop hurting, it won’t stop hurting. It is a shame that we cannot live up to our high school expectations. Most of us were convinced then that we would live forever, never suffer any real pain or failure and eventually die in a spectacular blaze of glory. Never was there consideration of the possibility that we might have great and long-lasting pain as a partner in life.
For those of us who are boomers, the transition from “the one who dies with the most toys wins” to “what do I do with all this junk?” was just the beginning of opening of our eyes. When our vision started to give out, and most of our teeth were capped, we began to see things a little differently, but we did not give up easily. Then along came arthritis or ulcers, torn muscles, balding, and an extra 40 pounds. The fix was in. Nobody was going to get out alive, and most of us were going to become well acquainted with pain.
Whenever I come to a fork in the road, and I just do not know which way to go, I always turn to the Scriptures. The answer does not jump off the pages as I read, but with a little work it comes slowly, when need presses through the fog in my brain and speaks to me. As I have walked with great pain over the last few years, my question has been a simple one: “How do I deal with you? How do I keep your influence from controlling my behavior?” The answer to this question can be summed up in a few words. Do not take yourself too seriously. It will probably get worse tomorrow and today will look pretty good.
Rom 5:1-5Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
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