Thankful for Pain
A couple of weeks ago, J had surgery. I won't get into the details, but the first full day afterwards was difficult. All of the medication and numbness had worn off, and the reality of the next few days set in as the pain and discomfort, even dulled with pain medication, reared its head. At times, it was hard for him to even simply stand upright.What moved me deeply, though, was that he thanked God, sometimes through tears, for the pain that he was experiencing, because he knew that that pain was better than what could have happened.
A few years back, Kelly and I checked Facebook to see a post from our best friend. Summed up, it basically said, "I'm done. I can't be friends with you anymore." Completely blindsided us. Almost 10 years of friendship, gone just like that. Hurt, betrayal, the sting of "how on earth could you say that after all we have done for you?"...
2013 was a tough year for my family. There were many struggles, many moments wondering if we as a family were going to come through. Many nights spent crying out to God, "Why, God? Why are You doing this to us?"
Have you ever been thankful for pain?
J's decision to thank God for his pain, like I said, moved me. That level of humility speaks to a character trait that I do not always possess. We're a few years away from that friendship I mentioned earlier. Now that I am able to look back on it, I realize that God spared us from what could have been many more months of toxicity and negativity. And things with my family now? They're better than they have been in quite a long time.
One thing I've learned from pain is that it is seemingly impossible for you to be thankful for it while you're going through it. That makes sense, of course. Pain is pain. It hurts. It's uncomfortable. It's ugly. We can't see around it because it hurts, because it's uncomfortable. But it's also temporary. And when we come out of it, we see ourselves as we really are:
Strong
Made new
Restored
Redeemed
Whole
One of my favorite passages in Scripture is from Paul in 2 Corinthians; he's telling the church there about how, in order to prevent himself from becoming too proud, he was given a thorn in his side. Whether it was a literal thorn, I don't know. But he goes on to say that he begged God to take it from him. But look at what it says after that:
"Each time He said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.'" (12:8)
As Christians, we have the power of God living in us. And that same power works best in weakness. We're able to walk through difficult trials and pain because we already have what we need...the power of Christ.
"For when I am weak, then I am strong." -2 Corinthians 12:10
Pain hurts. I know it does. I've been there so many times. I've walked through pain with those I love, and I wish I could say it gets easier. It certainly doesn't. I want to encourage you, though, with this: Be strong. You are strong, and it will not last!
Also, do what you need to do: Pray. Pray a lot. Talk about it, don't isolate yourself. Cry (Crying helps a lot actually), releasing that emotion is a good thing. Be sure to take care of yourself as best as you are able.
Remember: You are strong. It will not last!
A few years back, Kelly and I checked Facebook to see a post from our best friend. Summed up, it basically said, "I'm done. I can't be friends with you anymore." Completely blindsided us. Almost 10 years of friendship, gone just like that. Hurt, betrayal, the sting of "how on earth could you say that after all we have done for you?"...
2013 was a tough year for my family. There were many struggles, many moments wondering if we as a family were going to come through. Many nights spent crying out to God, "Why, God? Why are You doing this to us?"
Have you ever been thankful for pain?
J's decision to thank God for his pain, like I said, moved me. That level of humility speaks to a character trait that I do not always possess. We're a few years away from that friendship I mentioned earlier. Now that I am able to look back on it, I realize that God spared us from what could have been many more months of toxicity and negativity. And things with my family now? They're better than they have been in quite a long time.
One thing I've learned from pain is that it is seemingly impossible for you to be thankful for it while you're going through it. That makes sense, of course. Pain is pain. It hurts. It's uncomfortable. It's ugly. We can't see around it because it hurts, because it's uncomfortable. But it's also temporary. And when we come out of it, we see ourselves as we really are:
Strong
Made new
Restored
Redeemed
Whole
One of my favorite passages in Scripture is from Paul in 2 Corinthians; he's telling the church there about how, in order to prevent himself from becoming too proud, he was given a thorn in his side. Whether it was a literal thorn, I don't know. But he goes on to say that he begged God to take it from him. But look at what it says after that:
"Each time He said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.'" (12:8)
As Christians, we have the power of God living in us. And that same power works best in weakness. We're able to walk through difficult trials and pain because we already have what we need...the power of Christ.
"For when I am weak, then I am strong." -2 Corinthians 12:10
Pain hurts. I know it does. I've been there so many times. I've walked through pain with those I love, and I wish I could say it gets easier. It certainly doesn't. I want to encourage you, though, with this: Be strong. You are strong, and it will not last!
Also, do what you need to do: Pray. Pray a lot. Talk about it, don't isolate yourself. Cry (Crying helps a lot actually), releasing that emotion is a good thing. Be sure to take care of yourself as best as you are able.
Remember: You are strong. It will not last!
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