The earth continually replenishes, renews, and redeems. If God has such order in nature, how much more does He have order in human life?

Thing is, we forget. Pain makes us look down and focus on the wound. It deserves our attention. But too much attention causes the pain to be magnified. That’s when we must find something  bigger than the pain.

Step outside on a clear night. The sky is filled with a spectacular display!  Who tires of trying to find the Big Dipper ? Or gazing at the moon?  Have you thought .. really thought .. that you live on a ball suspended in nothingness? Not only is there amazing beauty all around us to behold,  but consider the dependability in which the earth functions like a well-oil machine.  The earth is wrapped with a blanket of air that warms, protects, and gives life. This reveals God’s care.

We know that pain is a part of life. Sometimes we blame God. That’s because, whether we believe in God or not, we’re wired to blame something or someone. And who better than the one who is in charge of the systems of the Universe?

Yet, it is this very concept that has the ability to take our breath away. All around us is amazing beauty, revealing not only God’s design, but God’s care.

Looking up from your pain isn’t avoiding how you feel or pretending it doesn’t hurt. It brings relief when you begin seeing something bigger than your pain. Don’t be afraid to bask in the joy that comes from the beauty around you. Let it soothe your pain and heal your broken heart.

Lots of things go wrong. Lots.

… but lots of things go right, too.

Pain threatens to kill the part of you that wants to live. Don’t let it. God has wonderful surprises tucked away for you that will make you smile. Yes, even in sorrow there is joy. Don’t take my word for it. Go look!

Humans have a longing to be validated.

We spend much of our time discovering who we are, and explaining to others who we are. When your heart is aching it’s normal to want people to notice and to care. We’re wired that way.

Yet,  far too many avoid people facing painful situations. Some just run the other way. It becomes a socially awkward nightmare, leaving the one in pain …. in even more pain. If this is you, read on.

When pain comes, it’s alright to pull away. You reach out and touch the handle of a hot dish. It hurts. You pull back. You reach out towards a cat. It hisses and swipes at you. You pull back.

Why is heartache treated differently? Because physical pain is visible and can be measured. People want so badly for you to be well or be who you were before the pain.  So, depending on your pain, don’t expect people to know exactly how you feel.

But, there is one who does get it. God.  The Creator of humanity, the Creator of you, knows. You may be blaming Him for the pain.  He’s got the shoulders for it. But then eventually, one must come to terms with God’s part or you will continually spiral downward to cynicism and bitterness (leading to even more pain).

As I have faced deep sorrow in my life, I have learned what works and what doesn’t work. And most of the time, it is this: be patient with yourself even when it feels like the people around you are not.

Are you in pain today? Be validated. No strings attached.

Pain comes to all of us. It comes in the form of physical, emotional, and mental. The physical pain we get. It’s visible. We understand it. The crutches explain the broken leg and the bed explains the flu. Mental pain we get. It, too, is visible. We may not understand it completely, but we accept it for what it is.

But emotional pain is more elusive. It slips through our fingers when we try to understand it. A broken heart is not healed quickly. We may see the effects of it but cannot readily define it. We just want the pain to go away.

I am not going to pretend I understand the pain of famine, genocide, or the pain of watching a loved one suffer with a terminal illness.

I do understand the pain of losing a child, abandonment, rejection, disappointment, loneliness, discouragement and more.

And I’m not going to tell you, “Pain is pain.” It isn’t.

But I do understand what hope is and how it feels to have it … and not to have it. I also understand how a little encouragement, in a small gesture such as a hand on my shoulder, a smile, or a few caring words, can keep me going for days!

If you’re inclined, it would warm my heart if you were encouraged through my Monday, Wednesday, and Friday passages … real words about real pain … for real people, like you.