Pain and Life

Just a few moments ago I finished by bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.  As I started to make my next move, I felt something strange come over me.  It was like life was rushing out of me.  I could feel my heart slow down.  My mind became very peaceful, it was like I was going to slip into death.  I thought to my self, “I’m slipping away”.

I sat in my chair thinking about my life, how tired I was.  I have not slept in a few night because of the pain in my hips and back.  I thought of how hard it is to keep fighting, how nice it would be to enter the rest of the Lord.

They it hit me.  I was not dying.  The pain was gone and my body was doing what all normal bodied do when they are not in a constant battle, relaxing.  My heart slowed because my anxiety had decreased, an anxiety that I now take as normal.  What I thought was slipping away was the gentle feelings of falling asleep after nights on restless sleep.  After the startle it was enjoyable.

I realized again that pain brings to my life an endless resistance to that pain and a ever present resolve to do the next thing, even if the next thing is get out of the chair. A quick Google reveals that over  100 million people are suffering with chronic pain.  What are we to do?  What are they to do?

I have been prayed for hundreds of times, pray almost daily for my self, been healed, fallen out of a tree stand and became unhealed….I have tried a great many things to get better, to get healed, to live pain free.  What is the answer?

Jesus is the answer.  He is the answer as the healer, as wisdom, as truth and as our example of suffering until we are bodily transformed.  The people of God who promote healing often battle with being friendly to those who are enduring pain.  This pain is not just physical, but emotional, mental, spiritual.  Pain is pain and living in pain every day, even in “imaginary pain” hurts.

Here is my offering of wisdom from a Red Neck Mystic.  Make heaven rejoice and hell grieve over the way you endure suffering.  Use every ounce of your suffering to bring glory to God, to make Angles proud that someone on the earth, surrounded by darkness; lives in such a way as to love God in spite of hurt.  Live in a way that makes hell mad that you love God when God does not provide a better (pain free) life for you.  Know this!  That while some people do great works and are seen by many for meetings, miracles and networks; God is fully aware of you when you, in pain, turn to Him and endure with joy for His name sake. 

I know that we can hurt so bad that we literally want this life to be over.  The desire to be pain free can be motivated by pain and suffering from our situation in life, broken relationships, bodily pain and numerous other conditions.  It takes a huge faith to keep going in the face of these daily giants.  But God is a God who supplies all we need, if we turn to Him and seek Him.

If you do not endure suffering you can stop reading here.  If you have real pain in your life I invite you to read on.

To those who live with pain and it’s various forms I what to speak openly with you about the TEST of dealing with religious people.  It is our responsibility not to get offended, not theirs.  It is our responsibility to love.  We do not demand love because of our condition, but give more love out of our poverty of condition.

Simple answers, religious ceremonies, spiritual programs, going to conferences all have a very, very valuable place in healing and wholeness.  God will use your desire to be well as a great tool in your Christ like transformation, so let Him do that.  But do not be discourage because leaders and people of the spirit cannot help you.  Love them but keep looking to Jesus.  Do not be ashamed to look to Jesus.  Do not be ashamed for others, that others are not enough to meet your need.  Even if they dishonor you and neglect you because you represent to them some problem or issue that will not go away, do not, do not reject them. 

Right now you ought to be wondering, “why should I have to go through all this”.  “Why is my life full of pain when others are not”?  That is a great question.  So go to the one who can answer that question.  Ask the Master why?  He will respond and lead you even if His reply does not seem to answer the question.  Often God, in His misdirection, is leading us on the shortest path to life.  Counsel from a Red Neck Mystic.