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!
There are tragedies which are so horrid, so painful, so devastating – and you think people are feeling what you are – and they are not.
How could they not?
But then, to make matters worse, you find they are talking about you.
Examining.
Analyzing.
Judging.
And the pain deepens.
There are many wonderful pleasures in our life.
And there are many horrible tragedies.
But the pleasures tell us God is with us. He sees. He knows.
And he is your defender. Because one day he will make it right.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shieldand the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
-The Bible
God may make it right here or in eternity. But he will make it right.
You think you have to hold onto God … when it’s he who is holding on to you.
~~~
Photo courtesy:…-Wink-… / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND
Memories ebb and flow, washing upon the shore of our mind. Sometimes the tide comes in uninvited, carrying debris with it. If we allow the debris to lodge in our minds, we can become laden down with self-pity, discouragement, and depression.
The tide will go out. And with it, the debris.
But look! There are some surprising treasures that the tide brought with it. If you look carefully, you will find them.
Pain does not have to drown us. God knows we do not have the strength to tread water for long. He brings reprieve in the form of little joys that will make us smile in the midst of even deep sorrow.
The first clear notes of a cheerful robin, chasing away the bitter winds of winter.
The surprise visit of a summer breeze, bringing relief on a hot summer day.
The palette of warm, autumn colors painted on a dreary, gray canvas.
The gentle falling snowflakes quieting a troubled heart.
~~~
Photo courtesy: wildxplorer / Foter / CC BY
The morning was cloudy with light, misty rain. 
Normally, who would want to be outside?
Yet, the golds and reds of autumn painted against a gray sky created a kind of peaceful seclusion, isolating me from the rest of the world.
I love the feel of the rich, damp earth.
Orange, purple, and yellow tulip bulbs were carefully pressed down into the cool ground.
I leaned against the tree, thinking where I would plant an azalea. I looked around at the drooping vines, lifeless hostas, and scattered leaves on the chilled ground.
Then a thought came to me.
We feel happiness.
Why should we not feel pain?
If we feel pain, we are alive.
And being alive is wonderful.
Because on a dismal day you can plant a tulip bulb.
It will lay lifeless and dormant below the cold earth.
But it’s really alive. It’s just waiting for its moment.
No matter how difficult our circumstances may be, we can all offer support to those around us. Whether it’s a penny, a dollar, or much more, the act of giving always makes us feel as if we have more than we thought we had.
-Rabbi Brad Hirschfield
These 8 tips are not meant to diminish the pain we feel in life.
But I can tell you one thing that I know to be true: when you look to God for all you need, you will not be disappointed. He has all things in His hands. Only God offers peace and even joy when life brings us great sorrow. And only when you know Him in that way, can you trust Him – and be thankful.
This morning, I read to my 11 yr. old about the tundra.
Most of the tundra is located north of the Arctic Circle – in the Frigid Zone – the coldest regions of the earth.
As winter approaches, the nights grow longer and colder as snow and ice cover the earth. The ground freezes solid.
Desolate. Barren. Empty.
Pain is like that.
But then-
Who knew this far removed region of the earth would dance with color? About 400 wildflower species announces to the world that desolation is only temporary.
The existence of pain does not mean God isn’t real. We accept winter and spring. One does not negate the other.
The arrival of spring brings comfort and tells us that God is with us.
Read nature! It helps explain life.
~
Photo credits: Rich Reid and Norbert Rosing
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/
Pain disrupts the rhythm of our life.
Our hearts are like dry soil.
God waters the earth when it is time.
And the rhythm returns.
To find peace in your pain, there has to be something or someone bigger than your situation.
Optimism and positive thinking are a good start, but it doesn’t take away the lump in your throat. Addictions eases the pain momentarily – only to find it on our plate the next morning.
God, the creator of the universe, is well able to handle anything that comes along. He hears us when we call out to Him. In our minds, we want the painful situation to go away. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn’t.
Nevertheless, God says He will never leave us or forget about us. That means He will through the pain with us.
Go ahead. Ask Him.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
And there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.
All these things are gone forever.”
-The Bible
Everything has purpose. When you consider nature and how everything fits and operates with value and purpose, how much more is your life valuable and purposeful?
There is struggle in nature. Chicks must peck their way through the egg. Delicate plants push their way through heavy soil. Without bees there are no flowers or food. Without an irritant there are no pearls.
God would not order nature and not order human life.
He gives purpose to pain – not because God purposes pain for us, but because He knows how to bring purpose from pain.
when it hurts 