Pain

I opened my devotional and the page is titled, “Pain”. oh the irony of the timing... I’ve been symptomatic with my illness and to be honest, I just wanted to flip to another page, maybe read a different thought. I wanted something encouraging and uplifting.

I didn’t want to think about pain. When it’s something you deal with almost everyday, you want your devotional to help you think of something else, anything else. I wanted to think of life, breathing, and growing.

But here’s what I learned …

Pain can be redemptive ~ your broken heart can lead you to God. Pain can reveal God’s power as you see Him respond to your cry for help. Pain can test and prove your commitment to God. Pain equips you to comfort others in their pain because you know what they are going through.

I thought back over the last few weeks, and honestly, we’ve experienced a little of each of those things. Pain is a funny thing. It leaves you feeling mangled; a bit disfigured or marred. It crushes hope right out of your lungs if you but give it the chance. 

We may be pain now, in this moment, but the thing is ~ it will pass.

My thoughts derail as I reflect on where I’ve been and I tell myself that, even though I don’t know where I’m going, a faithful God has been leading me down this road the entire time and I have no reason not to trust.

So here’s the thing we must remember … it is not going to be forever. Use your pain to strengthen your faith, your character, and your compassion for others.

“Give your burdens to the Lord,
and he will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”

Psalm 55:22 {New Living Translation {NLT}}

Blessings