But God, The Pain Hurts!
Children learn at a very young age that touching something hot is not pleasant and they quickly withdraw their hands. The words hurt and ouch are soon added to their vocabulary. As we mature, experience teaches us to avoid those activities most likely to cause pain. There is a segment of people with severe mental disorders, who find pleasure in experiencing pain, but the rest of us go to great lengths to avoid even the possibility. An individual with a chronic pain condition will try any substance or method to relieve the constant assault of pain on his or her body. But could pain be a positive experience? We read in the Bible about a condition called Leprosy. Leprosy damages the nervous system and destroys the body’s ability to feel pain. Can you imagine touching a hot stove and not noticing until you smell burning flesh or grabbing a sharp knife and letting go only because you have fainted from the loss of blood. Pain serves as a warning, signaling that something is wrong.
As a child, my mother had this great red medicine for cuts and scrapes called “methiolade.” I don’t even know if it is still in existence but she would paint our wounds liberally with this antibacterial liquid as we screamed loudly. Physicians have to cut flesh to remove or repair faulty internal organs. They may have to break a bone to set it properly or stick a needle in an arm to vaccinate against a dreaded disease. Although these may cause further pain, it is necessary to prevent a future, more severe condition.
God did not create pain but he created us with an intricate nervous system to feel pain. God allows us to feel both physical and emotional pain in our life so that we become aware of a problem. Many times instead of treating the problem, we mask it with other emotions. When Steve and I were young we experienced a great hurt in our lives. The hurt came through people we trusted and admired. We needed care and guidance instead we were cast off and ignored. The experience was so painful that for years the only way I could deal with it was through anger. I felt that anger gave me the control to manage the pain. The anger became so intense that it consumed my thoughts and “soothed” my raw feelings. The day came when God finally pulled the scab off and I had to choose a life of anger or allow God to start the healing process. I chose God and only then did I realize the lost years and damage caused by anger.
There had been many times God had tried to reset the “broken bones” or apply the “salve” of His love to my situation, but anger seemed less painful. Several times, I wept bitterly before God only to close the door of my heart when He would try to help me face the situation. I would pray until I came to that particular roadblock and say, “Not now God, it hurts too much,” as I clung to my security blanket of anger. Whatever hurts you have experienced in life, God has the necessary therapy to not just relieve but remove the pain. You may be left with a few scars or a slight limp but it is amazing how glorious it feels to be free of the pain.
