Monday

LIVING WITH PAIN


FaithWalkDaily November 24, 2008

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor 12:7-10

It has been quite a few days since I've written here. The reason is pain. Chronic, unrelenting, debilitating pain.

Please don't think I'm looking for pity. On the contrary, like our teacher Paul, I count it a blessing that God would entrust this thing to me for my strength is not in this human body, but in my Savior Jesus. My time on earth is short in the greater scheme of things

I'm writing today for those who don't understand this kind of thinking, who might think me perhaps some sort of twisted masochist. Believe me, I'm no lover of pain.

Have you stumbled onto this blog "by accident" while searching for information on releif from Chronic Pain?

Not all people who find peace living with impairments, whether emotional or physical, are necessarily people of faith. But all people who choose to rise above their pain and disability necessarily affect other people in positive ways. Let's look at just a few.

Terry Fox - born in 1958 and now deceased, discovered he had malignant tumor in his right leg in 1977. The leg was amputated six inches above the knee. In 1979 he begin training for his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer research. During his training he ran 3000 miles. In 1980 he ran an average of 26 miles per day. After 143 days and 3339 miles he had to stop because the cancer had spread to his lungs. In September 1980 he became the youngest companion of the Order of Canada in a special ceremony in his hometown of Por Coquittan, B.C. In 1981 Terry's dream of raising $1.00 from every Canadian to fight cancer became a reality. September 1981 marked the First Annual Terry Fox Run.

Did Terry change lives by choosing to rise above his circumstances? Did he gain strength from his thorn?

Robert Kerrey, born in 1943 and still living, is a former Senator and Governor from Nebraska. He is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War where he lost his right leg in combat. As an entrepreneur he developed Grandmother’s Restaurant and several sports and fitness enterprises, where many have found employment and enrichment.

How many lives has he touched as a result of choosing to look forward rather than feeling sorry for himself about the past?

Joni Erickson Tada is the founder of Joni and Friends, an organization which accelerates Christian ministry in the disability community.

A diving accident when she was a teenager in 1967 left Joni a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, unable to use her hands. After two years of rehabilitation, Joni re-entered the community with new skills and a fresh determination to help others in similar situations. “My church made a huge difference in my family’s life as they demonstrated the love of God in practical ways,” says Joni.

Mrs. Tada wrote of her experiences in her international best-selling biography, Joni. Her name is now recognized in countries around the world following the distribution in many languages of her biography and the full-length feature film JONI. She has personally visited over 41 countries.

Do you think Joni has encouraged a few people in her disability?

Paul was one of the greatest teachers and transmitter's of the gospel of his time. He doesn't tell us his specific struggle. Was he bipolar? Did he have a painful physical ailment like arthritis? Perhaps, some have suggested, it was epilepsy. Or it might simply have been a leaning toward a particular sin that plagued him. It's theorized there's no clear definition by design because God wanted all who are afflicted, whether by lust, disease or emotional suffering to relate to what the Apostle is telling us. No matter our thorn, we can overcome. In our weakness is strength.

Can you beleive that?

When we share ourselves with others in an encouraging way, we become stronger in the process as we help someone else. It's a natural result of sowing and reaping. In passing the message of Scripture on to another, I'm reminded of my strength in Christ.

Heavenly Father, Your grace is sufficient. We need nothing more than to rest in Your care, knowing that whatever afflicts us will be used for Your purposes, perhaps even to save another. When the enemy strikes at our weakest point, we find our strength in Christ. In the name of Jesus, amen.