Pain Is A Pain!

No one wants it. No one greets it with open arms. No one ever truly understands why it comes to them or loved ones, or friends. Pain has many forms, and ....well pain hurts. The mother who watches her child dealing with the pain of cancer feels helpless. She would take that pain in her own body if given the chance. Seeing friends lose a loved one for whatever reason makes one feel so helpless, so inadequate to comfort. Watching a friend or family member's home break into pieces through divorce, or seeing the pain of abuse, drugs, and alcohol can leave us sad and unsure as to why it is happening. Pain comes in all sizes and forms. It is no respecter of age, race, or circumstance. Pain does not care if you are two or 92. It does not care if you already are sad, lonely, sick, or scared. Why then does God allow pain to invade our lives, or those we care about?

I have learned several things about pain. I have had a lot of it. I should point out that there are different pains. There of course is the physical pain of injury and illness and disease, but there is also the mental pain of heartbreak, abuse, loss, and things that hurt emotionally. There is also spiritual pain when we know we are grieving God, or are not in step with Him. No matter what the source, pain is pain, and it hurts our bodies, our hearts, our emotions. I have learned that physical pain can be a nagging, always present ache, or it can be a pain rated a 10 on the doctor's charts that may come and go.There is medication for pain, but sometimes there isn't enough medication to take the pain totally away. It makes it tolerable, and each person has a different level of tolerable. I have learned that when you go through intense physical pain, you learn what you can tolerate, and what you can not. There have been times when I went to bed, not knowing how I would get through the night. It is those times I fall asleep with a prayer on my lips, and tears in my eyes. It helps me to remember God is with me. He sees my tears, He knows my heart, and then too, I think about Jesus pain on the cross. Believe it or not that makes my own pain more tolerable. Jesus has always gotten me through the pain, and He understands that pain!

Emotional and spiritual pain are just as painful, but are usually due to our own choices, or consequences of our actions. When this pain hits, prayer is the first line of defense, and reading God's word shows us how to deal with the issues of heartbreak. It's all in the Bible, and it can direct our path, heal our hearts, and give us God's wisdom. Through this pain, I have learned to trust God. He knows the outcome, before the situation even happens. Tragedy can strike out of nowhere, blindside us, and leave us devastated. We question God, we may even yell at God! " Why, God? Why me?" I have also learned that because I have given my life to Christ, He will never let anything touch me that has not gone through Him first. If satan decides to take a loved one through a bad situation, or wants to disrupt my life, God has the final say. One thing I know for very sure is that if God allows

it, if God brings me to a situation, God will see me all the way through it! 

God has gifted me with sympathy, and empathy for others. I not only feel sorry or sad for others going through a valley, but I feel their pain. Sometimes that is so hard, but i am grateful God has trusted me to feel others pain, so I can minister to them. He also has given me the pain He has,both physical and emotional so I can share with others. It is hard to minister to someone in a situation, if you have never experienced their pain. God uses all our situations and trials to teach us, but also to help others. The biggest lesson we can learn from our pain, is this....God is always there, He loves you. He will not leave you or forsake you. I need God, in the pain, through the pain!  Pain is a pain, it always will be, but with God it is much more tolerable!