That may be a title of a C.S. Lewis book, but, really, it is a problem.
PAIN. It comes in all shapes and sizes.
Physical pain manifests in many ways (& places): sharp, tingling, zinging, aching, mind-numbing, nauseating pain in our tummies, backs, necks, knees, shoulders, elbows, kidney stones… (ouch!)
Heart pain runs rampant when our hopes for love are trampled, relationships run askew, partners let us down (or leave us), friends desert us, maybe our parents disappoint us, perhaps our children reject us or become a source of angst?
Life pain erupts when our dreams go off the rails, failure hounds us, we move three steps forward only to fall eight steps back, and nothing turns out like we hoped (or planned?)
Pain of loss catches us by the throat when the holes in our hearts and lives are so deep we feel like they will never be filled.
There’s the pain of unknowing, when fear looms larger than the best coping mechanisms we can muster and it hurts deep down in the recesses of our bewildered minds.
Certainly, there are more kinds of pain, but that’s an initial go at it. And this came to mind today, because?
Virginia’s neck discs are misbehaving again, zing, zing. Makes one reflective (in between steroids & loosen-up meds.)
Pain can be humbling, too. Asking others to do simple tasks? & waiting on the completion of said tasks? (Like vacuuming, which my kind brother has temporarily taken into his half of weekly chores.)
Another challenge with the problem of pain is how to maintain ‘nice’ when in the throes of it. Pain tends to make me grumpy. Pain killers make me loopy (more than normal.) Steroids set me over the edge (not edgier, just weirder.) While lucidity is generally preferred, sometimes pain makes us take our meds and live with the side stuff.
Although we may give others in our living spheres advice like SHIELDS UP (in Star Trek parlance), we may need to adapt our shields to prevent leaky pain valves decimating others with our steaming frustration.
We pray. And pray. And pray (some more.)
It doesn’t mean our pain goes away. Sometimes, as God wills, we are healed. Other times methinks God wants our reliance upped a notch (or two.)
That’s the thing about prayer and pain. After we pray our bodies, minds, hearts, and lives may still hurt, but God is good about filling us with peace to face whatever comes. Amidst hurt and pain swirling around us and within us, God is with us.
In the pain.
As we walk (or crawl) through our pain, one tiny step at a time, God’s Hands are there to hold the hands of our hearts with Divine Love, the kind that never ends.
We just need to reach out, ask & grasp God’s love. God’s peace. God’s grace. God’s mercy. God’s joy (that is available, even in suffering.)
Sounds weird, I know.
“Joy is a promise.” Madeleine L’Engle
Just ‘sayin. Virginia’s preaching to the choir today (herself!)
Here’s to asking & grasping God’s love, peace, grace, mercy, and joy to help us over – around – under – in – & through our pain.
grace, peace & pain management
: / Virginia : )
“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” C.S. Lewis
Roses in the Rubble 
That’s such a beautiful description of God’s presence while in the midst of pain… whatever it is; physical, emotional or other!
I do hope though, that your physical pain diminishes for you! Diane
Diane, you know a great deal about this topic. I hope God gives you extra doses of peace & grace to deal with all that’s on your plate. I may not be pain-free, but I can try not to be ‘a pain’ (which tends to be a BIG challenge!) Lots of love & hugs to you! 🙂
I am praying for you. A tender and compassionate post, thank you.
Thanks for your prayers, Carol-Jo, they mean lots! Sometimes I think I’d rather stay back in the Beginners pain class, but when it ramps up I’m an avid attendee of the Advanced F.R.O.G. class (Full Reliance On God!) Love & hugs! 🙂
Hope you’re okay? The Lord is your strength!
Wishing you well & a speedy recovery! 💜🙏
Amen & AMEN! Psalm 27:1 & 4 are my life verses. “The Lord is my strength and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?..” Blessings & blogging hugs to you! 🙂
PAIN is a very bad four letter word. I live with pain and I prefer to call it rigor mortis! Laugh to mask pain as the endorphins from laughter is a natural soother…I wish you a speedy recovery with much love and Garfield hugs 🙂
Garfield Hug, You, too, know too much about pain (of all shapes & sizes – but not orange furry ones, who can be squeezed for comfort!) Laughter is a gift, and I’m with you, it certainly helps lift pain doldrums. Reading your blog posts are thus good medicine, as they keep me (& many others) laughing & laughing & laughing. BIG HUGS! 🙂
Aawww thank you so much Virginia. I am happy people who read my posts enjoy a laugh or too. This makes me very happy. Often times I tell self mind over matter for pain. So I understand how one feels to be in pain😉 Take heart, tomorrow lesser pain for all 😃is wished! Happy Friday and cheers to a great weekend ahead🤗🤗
That is so spot-On, well said, Virginia. I am Praying for you.
Brigette – thank you for your prayers(!) I know you know a great deal about dealing with pain. 😦 I’m not THAT old (my parents never gave me much sympathy on that front), but Papa would say, “It’s not the years, it’s the miles.” My poor worn out knees, back, neck, ankles, kidney-stone-ridden-insides have seen a few too many miles! Blessings & (careful) hugs to you. 🙂