Pain

This is something I've been thinking about lately, as a few people I know are in some real physical and emotional pain.  Truth is everyone we see is going through some level of pain, struggling with something.  I don't think you can compare one persons pain with someone else's, nor can you compare your present pain with your past pain.  It is what it is. You feel what you feel while you are in the midst of it and it can't be diminished by thinking, "oh it's not as bad as so-and-so's pain, they really have it bad", or "why am I complaining, this isn't nearly as bad as I felt when dealing with that other thing...".  I'm not saying to feel sorry for yourself and be overly dramatic about it.  I'm saying acknowledge it for what is, accept it, feel it and know that while everybody's pain is different, it is still pain and you aren't alone.

One of my favorite writers Donald Miller said "pain is always an invitation to grow".  An invitation.  Doesn't mean it is always accepted.  A lot of people do the opposite and come up with all sorts of coping mechanisms to get around it, avoid it, run from it.  He also points out how in movies the character never grows or changes when everything is going great.  It's through pain and difficulty that they transform and become who they are supposed to be.  We appreciate that when it's happening to a character, but when it's us we sometimes fail to see our pain and difficulty as an opportunity, a turning point in our story.

The most pain I've ever been in physically was during childbirth.  Both times were long, and torturous and there was no pain medication involved.  With the pain of childbirth, however, there is an end in sight.  You know that there is something beautiful happening.  I think that could be possible with other pain as well.  If we looked at our anguish as a road to something better, if we had foresight to know that at the end of it we'd be stronger and better in some way, it would be easier to go through.

So in your darkest moments, I believe there is still a light.  It looks different for everyone.  Maybe your physical or emotional pain is an opportunity to grow spiritually.  Maybe it's an opportunity to become more appreciative, become closer to your loved ones, to see truly how strong and powerful you are, to be courageous in a situation where everyone would understand if you just gave up.  It might even be an opportunity to help someone else.