Pain

    When I finished my last post I was just beginning to realize what a tough topic I had picked. That's why I ended it with a plea for your thoughts.

Pain is a tough subject, and a broad one. There is no simplifying it into 10 or even a hundred easy steps. Pain is pain and we must walk through it however long it takes.

The good news is, we don't have to walk through it alone! God has promised to be with us no matter what.

So, how does God want us to respond to pain?

I have pondered the subject of pain for a few weeks now and come up with many approaches and analogies, but in the end I keep coming back to this: God wants us to draw near to Him in our pain.

Trust in Him at all times O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.
Psalm 62:8

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you
1 Peter 5:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Pain presents us with a choice, as do most things in life. We can see the good or we may dwell on the bad. We can appreciate our chance to learn a lesson, run into the open arms of Jesus and be an example to the world, or we have the opportunity to shake our fists at the sky, and then curl up in a ball and hide from the pain. In the end we still end up hurting.

What should we do when we sense that ripple of dominoes hurtling towards us?

 Lean on God. He will hold you up.

Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
Psalm 55:22

Life Lessons

Life is hard. Life is complicated. Life is painful. Life isn't fair. We all have to learn these things the hard way.

I remember the events that taught me these lessons. They did happen over a good amount of time, but to me they seemed like dominoes; one tumbling right after another as I stood and watched helplessly. Actually, I felt like all of those dominoes at once. I felt like the one crashing to the ground at the beginning, and I felt like the one at the end, waiting for my turn, knowing it was coming closer and closer, yet never knowing when it would strike.

I still feel that way. Only now I know what it feels like to be a dominoe; I know how much it hurts when you are suddenly knocked to the ground with no warning, no chance to brace yourself. So, I keep myself braced. I curl up in a ball so I can roll with the punches instead of fall flat on my face.

Is that really the way God wants me to live my life, hiding from it? I think not. Jesus faced the hungry crowds, Jesus took the spiteful taunts, Jesus looked the crippled children in the eye...and then did something about their situation.

So, how does God want us to respond to pain? Tell me what you think and I will post my thoughts on this a little later. :)