Saturday, April 5, 2008

More Thoughts about Pain

It is Saturday morning. Eight days have passed since my surgery. I am laying on our sofa bed in the living room. Leg elevated and iced. Body drugged to the edge of oblivion.

The doctor doubled the dosage of the medication. It has greatly helped to alleviate the pain.

As I think about pain, I consider its purpose. The pain certainly reminds me of the trauma that my body has experienced and warns me that I need to rest and recuperate. No dancing or softball games for me in the near future. Pain gets my attention. It tells me that I need to be careful.

God has a purpose in the pain that He allows us to endure. He uses our pain to get our attention, to warn us, to teach us, and to guide us.

As long as we live in this sin-marred world, we will experience pain, suffering, and disease. But if we submit to Him, God will use these things to help us to mature and become more like Jesus Christ. For those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, this pain and suffering are temporary. A day will come when there will be no more pain. This gives me hope!

My daughter is watching over me today as my wife and younger son are grocery shopping. She is doing a good job changing my ice packs and keeping me company. For the most part, she is reading in my recliner while I doze off and on. In or out.

At the moment, she is emptying the dishwasher while talking on the phone. This is a multi-tasking skill that she learned from her mother.

As we share this experience with cancer as a family, it is my prayer that my children learn from me and my wife the importance of trusting in God. The joy in seeking to please Him in every circumstance. It is my prayer that they learn to have a greater passion for and a desire to help those in need. I pray that they are encouraged and strengthened in this journey.

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