NOT A FAN OF PAIN

Nope.

I am a pain wimp.

Last week I had gum surgery.

I was so nervous that I had "The Hub" come into the room with me.

At some point, trying to be encouraging, he said to me, "Just think of it like a vacation."

To which I retorted, "Perhaps a vacation to Death Valley in the middle of the summer, with no water, and a cactus to sleep on."

Later, he also asked if it was possible to put some Novocain into my head so I wouldn't think and worry so much.

To which I (jokingly?!) replied, "I changed my mind.  You can leave the room now."

How I appreciate "The Hub" – he always finds a way to make me laugh in a tough situation!


Let me tell you, the whole procedure was nothing like I expected.  It took a long time, it was very uncomfortable (even with the fun pain-killing shots), and there was so much tugging and pulling and grinding.  A lot of pressure was applied to my teeth and gums – which I realized was a LOT of pressure when the dental assistant placed her hand under my chin and pushed it up to counteract what the dentist was doing.

I kept my eyes closed the entire time.

When it was (finally) over, I breathed the biggest sigh of relief.

So, I'm four days into recovery.  

For the next two weeks, I can only eat soft food, and only chew on one side of my mouth.  Which requires a lot of mental concentration, and an inordinate amount of time to eat, as it's such a habit to chew on BOTH sides. And my mouth doesn't open very wide.  (Maybe I'll lose some weight??)  

Pain, yes, but thankfully it's manageable with some ibuprofen.


But, I tell you what, the whole experience has me thinking about pain.

I know many of your stories out there in Blog Land, and I know that many of you are physically suffering.  Some of you are dealing with chronic pain and life-sapping conditions that refuse to go away.  Some of you are fighting cancer or another debilitating disease.

Some of you are going through painful emotional loss – either through grieving the death of a loved one, or the awful ache of a prodigal child, or the despair of a broken marriage.

Some of you struggle with the agony of unremitting anxiety, or the dark cloud of depression, or some sort of other daunting mental struggle. 

Pain – it takes such a toll.

And, for the believer, there is additional pain – that terrible underlying thought that crosses every honest mind:

"Why does God allow suffering?"

It's a question that's been asked since man was cast out of the Garden.  And it will be asked until all things are made new.  It is a mighty stumbling block for those who do not believe in our Savior.

But it trips us up, too.

I have no real answer – I struggle with it.

I've thrown that question – WHY? – at heaven on more than one occasion.

Haven't you?

But, have you ever thought of pain being a protective mechanism?


Many years ago, I read a wonderful book on this issue of suffering – Philip Yancey's "Where Is God When It Hurts?"

I was particularly impressed with the beginning, when Yancey discusses his time spent with Dr. Paul Brand.

Dr. Brand was a great medical missionary.  And most of his work was concentrated on helping people plagued with leprosy.  He was the first physician to understand that the disease of leprosy did not actually cause the rotting away of tissues.  Rather, he discovered that it was the loss of the sensation of pain that made sufferers susceptible to injury.

He once said,  "If I had the power to eliminate human pain, I would not exercise that right.  Pain's value is too great."

(Dr. Brand also co-authored with Yancey, "Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants" (1993), republished in 1997 as "The Gift of Pain.")


I remember how I used to think that God banishing Adam and Eve from Eden was cruel, mean, heartless – that it was a great punishment.  It took me a long time to finally understand that it was, instead, salvation.

Pain is a sign of God's love. 

(Yes, even as I write that, I am cringing.  It sounds wrong.  But I believe that it is the toughest and best kind of Truth).

You see, pain tells us something is wrong.

C.S. Lewis, in his great treatise on the issue of suffering, "The Problem of Pain," says this:

"Pain insists upon being attended to.  God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains.  It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world."


Yes, perhaps the toughest lesson of all is this – 

God allows pain to accomplish a greater good.

And one of the *greater goods* is knowing that something is, indeed, wrong in our lives.  And this *wrong* can only be made right by the righteousness of a Savior.

Tough love – but Love still the same.


However, and this is my opinion, I think it's all right to tell Him the truth when we communicate with Him about our pain.

I think it's OK to be angry, or disappointed, or frustrated, or sad, or afraid, or disillusioned, or even crushed and broken.

Recently I was part of a Bible Study that studied the life of David.  And I was particularly moved by the whole passage when Uzzah was killed for touching the Ark.

I know all the "biblically correct" reasons that this happened.

But what I found most interesting was David's reaction.  The Bible states it this way:

"David was angry because the LORD's anger had burst out against Uzzah…David was now afraid of the LORD, and he asked, 'How can I ever bring the Ark of the LORD back into my care?'"  (2 Samuel 6:8-9)


David, who thought he was doing a good thing, and who was praising the Lord for His goodness, stunningly encountered pain.

And he reacted with anger and fear.

But at this moment, David was presented with a choice.  He was at a crossroads in his faith journey.

Would he turn away from, or would he turn toward God?

Would he abandon the Lord, or would he instead abandon his preconceived notions about the issue of suffering?

David had to move beyond devastation.


When we are confronted with blazing pain and suffering, we need to do the same thing.

We need to understand that there is something far more important than having a feel-good life.

God wants us to BE good.

Like His Son.

Who, thankfully, also struggled with pain.

And questioned it…twice.

(I have a feeling that His conversation with God was much longer than this. But Scripture records Him asking twice for God to change His mind.  I love that.  It gives me permission to question, too – more than once!)

"And going a little farther, He threw Himself upon the ground on His face and prayed saying, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire'...Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, 'My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.'" 
(Matthew 26:39, 42,  AMP)


Questioning, yes – turning away, no.

Begging for relief, yes – spurning the purpose, no.

Pleading for another way, yes – disobedience, never.


So, in our dearest Savior Jesus we have the example of how to deal with our pain.

I believe we are allowed to not like it, to wrestle against it, to struggle with accepting it.  

I think we are invited to be completely honest with our Creator.  Not disrespectful, but straightforward…

"Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with fullest confidence…" (Hebrews 4:16, PHILLIPS)


Other translations say "boldly approach."

And why can we do that?

Because of Jesus.

The word "therefore" means "for that reason; consequently."

Example – This is true, therefore we can do this other thing.

And the beginning *true* is this:

We have Jesus – our High Priest – who understands it all – who has passed through the worst sort of pain – and entered into glorious reward.

We can follow His humble example through suffering – (not liking one single moment) –  for a greater good – (our transformation) – and one day enter into our eternal reward.


Pain hurts so bad, Lord.

Help us, we pray, through the struggle.

Tools of the Trade 

"Then the LORD God said, 'Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil.  What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it?  Then they will live forever!'  So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made." (Genesis 3:22-23, NLT)

But man was only sent to till the ground out of which he was taken.  He was sent to a place of toil, not to a place of torment.  Our first parents were shut out from the privileges of their state of innocency, yet they were not left to despair.  The way to the tree of life was shut.  It was henceforward in vain for him and his to expect righteousness, life, and happiness, by the covenant of works; for the command of that covenant being broken, the curse of it is in full force: we are all undone, if we are judged by that covenant.  God revealed this to Adam, not to drive him to despair, but to quicken him to look for life and happiness in the promised Seed, by whom a new and living way into the holiest is laid open for us." -- (From Matthew Henry's Commentary)

"...he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them." (Isaiah 19:20, NIV)

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11, ESV)

"For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.  Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]." (Hebrews 4:15-16, AMP)

"Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8:17, NIV)

"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:6-7, NIV)

What are you going to do at the crossroads of suffering?

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