Skip to main content

The Peace of Pain

I was all wrapped up in my thoughts that morning as I gazed at the  beauty of the colored trees.  The cold nights have certainly contributed to their deeper, richer hues of amber, gold, and crimson.  The wind seemed to sneak up on me, in a sort of hide and seek game, but I didn't mind.  No, I was focused on the peace my heart had found over the past few months.  As I was pondering that very thought, I started running down the path toward home.  All of a sudden, a gust of wind shot a round seed ball directly under my foot.  Instant pain grabbed my foot and ankle as I wobbled and bobbled.  Oh, here we go again!  Pain, trial, suffering!  I had to almost laugh, although inwardly crying from the pain, I was outwardly visibly wincing.  I had to get home, so I relished the fact that I didn't fall, the ankle hadn't ballooned instantly, and though it throbbed with terrible pain, I still could walk.  Isn't this exactly what I've learned these past few months?  Peace seems to come through pain . . .

Perhaps, our Savior knew that for us to get the paradox of life, He had to come into our world.  If he hadn't embraced pain with us, would we have found relief? Left to our own devices when dealing with the unfairness, injustice and hardship of life, we can become stressed out, anxious, angry, bitter and resentful.  But when our focus rests on Him and not our circumstances, a peace pervades the soul.  I really can't explain it, except to say, you find that you can walk, even run with a wounded foot . . . 


Today, I have a grateful heart for Jesus who gave me life, a chance to live on earth for a certain allotment of days.  In giving me that opportunity, He has allowed me to experience the darker, deeper hues of life that though they've brought me tears of pain, I've found such peace within.  My peace has been that with my pain, He's brought me grace . . .


"For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace." (John 1:16)















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

But . . .

  I had to pause for a moment, as I began reading the text this early morning.  But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly:  they became stubborn and would not listen to Thy commandments."  (Nehemiah 9:18).    How often do I find myself verbalizing "but? what about? what then? what if? really?" All the phrases that feed doubt and angst into my life are found in that one conjunction.  Memory stands as the faithful argument against it, but when faced with future days all seems easily forgotten.  This verse comes to a people who had returned to their homeland after being ravaged and exiled by foreign powers.  Nehemiah is reminding them of who they are, and especially of their one and only God who has forever been faithful to them despite  their faithlessness and wrongdoing.  He reminds them how God is a God of forgiveness, slow to anger, longsuffering, overflowing with lovingkindness, never forsaking them even when He was totally forgott...
Post a Comment
Read more

Summer Breeze

  Gypsy Rose immediately prances to the back door as she hears her name.  We are ready for our morning walk, which has started later than usual, since I have some of these summer days off.  But it is still early enough to catch the morning breeze.  Walking south, I am refreshed by feeling the gentle wind all around me, it's a cool wrap in contrast to the summer sun.  But it all seems to disappear as I turn the corner and head west, my summer breeze is gone.  I am at a loss for it even as I continue north and east.  It's only as I begin the southern sidewalks back home that I am met with the blissful breeze.  I realize that though I wasn't feeling it for most of my steps, it was there all along, I just had to turn the right direction to get relief . . .  Sometimes, that is how my relationship with God seems.  Yes, I know He is ever near and is with me, but I don't feel that fact.  Sometimes my prayers seem to be in a vacuum, and I'm ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Brief Moments of Grace

  "But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place,  that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a  little reviving in our bondage." (Ezra 9:8)   Summer welcomes me today with a cloudy cool morning and a subtle fresh breeze.  The day is probably teasing me with moderate temperatures before it will launch into more robust sunlight and heat.  The scorching temperatures have given an abundance of tomatoes, bush beans and yellow squash in my garden, while tormenting the kale, cilantro, spinach and herbs.  My refreshment is found swimming laps in the pool and teaching or rather reminding Gypsy Rose to stay in her lane while we swim together.  Days seem to run together, slip away too fast, as I often feel locked in a routine of sleep, work, cook, repeat. I know that I need to pause and reflect, because even in that daily ritual are God's brief moments of gr...
Post a Comment
Read more