Purpose in Pain

Yesterday, I was on my way home from a doctor's appointment, contemplating what I might do with a couple of hours of unexpected "me" time when my phone rang. The caller ID said it was Olivia's school. I knew that couldn't be good. I answered to hear her voice sounding small and frightened. "Momma?" During the morning, she had had several episodes of small seizures. This was a surprise, since she hasn't had any seizures in months. Typically, they are subtle and fleeting, just a twitch of the mouth that comes and goes quickly, barely detectable on EEG. But these were a little different. As I asked questions, I learned that her whole mouth would feel "weird" and sometimes she felt as if she were not really there. Instead of being an isolated incident, this time there was a pattern. They just kept happening, and the feelings of "weirdness" were lasting longer. After talking with the nurse and the teacher, we decided it would be best for me to bring her home and watch her.

Once we were all buckled up and moving, she asked a question that I'm sure every single human being on earth has asked. Although I heard no trace of self pity, she sounded truly confused when she quietly asked, "Why me, Momma?"

I sighed. What a difficult question! But as I set my Momma feelings aside for a moment, it was easier to see objectively.

"Why not you?" I asked gently.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're no different from any other kid. There's nothing special or different about your body that makes you any better than anyone else. So why not you? And besides, isn't it better that this happen to a kid who knows God? Can you imagine how much more scary it would be for someone who didn't know that God was taking care of them?"

"That's true," she answered. And that was the end of that.

It's so hard to see God's purpose in pain. It doesn't feel good, so it's difficult to believe that there can be anything good in it. But the Bible talks about the benefit of suffering a lot.

James 1:2-4 instructs us to "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

2 Corinthians 4 and 5 says that "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.  For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ."

If we never had a problem, we wouldn't see a need for God. Isn't it those scary and dark times when we lean on Him the most? Isn't it when pain overwhelms  that we cry out to Him most genuinely and seek the precious mercy and love that are the essence of His character? Light shines brightest in the darkest places. These low places are where we grow, and growing hurts sometimes. But God will never waste our pain. There is always blessing in it. And if you find that difficult to believe when you're in that valley of suffering, just lift your eyes and look at the cross. You'll find the truth there.

Father, thank You that you never waste my pain. Thank You that I can always trust there is perfect purpose in it. Today, let me know You in a new and deeper way. And when pain comes, help me to trust that I will find Your blessing in it.

In His comforting love,
Amy


copyright 2010, Amy Wallace