pain

Beloved,

I recently remembered an article I read about pain.  There are people in the world who do not feel pain.  This is different than the  natural red heads who need more pain medicine.  This is people who don't feel pain.   Doesn't that seem like the goal?   It sure does to me.  To be able to live life with no physical pain.  Until, they pointed out that little kids break bones and have no idea.  Adults have an appendix rupture and have no idea.  The things they have to do to make sure their bodies are not injured is a full time job!

In life, it seems like our goal is to not feel any pain.  Or at least to keep our children from suffering from emotional, spiritual, mental, and even physical pain.  It often takes physical pain for a child to learn their limits.  It takes emotional pain to understand that words hurt.  It takes mental pain to learn how the world works and what our individual part in the whole system is as well as our part of whole.  

Why are we so interested in not feeling pain of any kind?  The Bible tells us there will be suffering.  Then, when it happens, we are shocked!   We are not exempt from pain as followers of Jesus.  We will suffer.  It is in the dealing with the pain, the healing, the lessons learned that we are able to walk with others.  We can empathize.  We can pass along our lessons to help others as they recover.  We can learn our limits and encourage others as they learn theirs.  

Rather than avoiding pain, which for those of us who can feel pain, maybe the full time job that we have, might we recognize that it is part of being human.  Reach out for healing.  Learn our lessons and help others when they suffer.

Unless that hurts to much? 

Much Love,
Temple