We all have pain from time to time. Sometimes the source of that pain is physical from an injury, accident or illness. Other pain is mental or emotional. It doesn’t matter if the pain is the result of something we said or did or that of someone else. Physical pain is easier to understand, people tend to give it more sympathy. However, mental and emotional pain are just as difficult, maybe even more difficult to deal with.
There is pain that can cause your heart to feel like it is being shredded or squeezed to death… (I am not talking about a physical heart problem) I know what that shredded and squeezed feeling is like, and am sure I am not the only one that has or is experiencing this kind of pain. But what do you do about it? Some deal with it by trying to numb the pain with alcohol or drugs. While that might seem to provide temporary relief, it doesn’t really help. In fact, those things will create more problems. It will affect not only your job, but also your relations. The cost is great, and not just in finances.
Pain can affect us in so many ways. It can make you bitter, and that can lead to a host of other problems. On the other hand, much like athletes have to push themselves to develop their muscles and improve their skills, pain can help define and refine us to make us into better individuals. Think about it, who do you find more comforting. Do you find it more comforting to talk to someone who seems to have it all together and doesn’t have any major heartaches, or would you rather talk to someone who has been through some of the hard places in life and come through or is going through it. Pain can make you more compassionate, sympathetic, understanding, plus give you a whole new education on various issues in life.
As I have experienced pain, I have contemplated how others deal with it. For me, the one thing that helps is knowing that God has this under control. Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He helps me, not just daily but moment by moment. I do not know how anyone deals with separation from loved ones, whether by death, incarceration, military, or other, or any of the other difficult situations in life without Him. If you are struggling and would like to talk about it, send me a message and we can talk some more.
Don’t let pain make you bitter, let it make you stronger!