“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT
In the dark of early morning Tom stood at the bedroom door clutching his side and said, “Cathleen, we need to go to the hospital.” I scurried to throw on the clothes I had set out the night before in anticipation of this possibility. And so, this journey began. It’s been a week!
It all started with pain. Intense, breath-robbing pain. Pain led to the flurry of hurry-up-and-wait in the Emergency Department and the discovery process of blood work and scans that led to one diagnosis, a prescription and release. But there was still pain.
Pain led us back to the ED for more hurry-up-and-wait, more blood work and scans and an additional diagnosis that led to in-patient treatment. That is where we are a week later. Perhaps by the time you read this, he will be home. Thank you for your prayers!
But that isn’t why I write now. I invite you to consider with me the gift of pain. It is human to avoid pain. We often try to ignore or minimize pain in any form. It would be crazy to seek out pain. There is a good chance you are experiencing some kind of pain at this moment. What would it look like to accept that pain as a gift?
I don’t know what kind of pain you are facing. But, if you can receive it as a gift, I know that it will lead to healing, because when we let it, pain leads us to God, the healer of body, mind and spirit.
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