Pain in the Face

Who knew when I was care-free playing outside as a child and growing up being outside at least half my life I would be peeling the skin off my face to keep weird, ugly bumps from spreading. I never wore sunscreen, never had time for it. We never even owned any (it cost money and we were poor). Now, wish I had. My face burns as the layers of face come off on and around the bumps. But at least the bumps are coming off and it will heal. And pain lets me know I am alive and something is going on, the treatment is working. So, two bumps are gone, 1 is healed completely and 1 is mostly healed. Now of the 3 others, 1 is gone and healing but still ugly, 1 is gone and healing is next on the docket, and the 1 is being treated as we speak and burns. So, this is the last hopefully for a long time, and I will get a break from painful treatments. Such is life. I am very thankful it is a non-lethal kind of skin cancer. Praise God! It could always be worse. God is so good!!😃❤️

The Healing Power of Pain

I have written on pain before, sharing from a book I read about a physician who worked with leprous patients overseas. [Leprosy is a degenerative skin disease (easily treated with antibiotics, but they did not know that in Jesus’ ministry days or still don’t in many poor countries today).] The damage comes from a lack of all feeling, including pain, in the extremities. The patient feels no pain.

Oh, that would be wonderful, says many people. In fact, addictions exist originally (most often) to numb pain or perceived pain, to not feel hurt, to escape reality instead of have pain- not knowing that Jesus Christ is the answer and hope/ help is available to heal us to recovery, but I digress.

Yes, feeling no pain would be lovely to non-patients’ eyes. However, would it surprise you to hear that what these patients mournfully complain about is not being disfigured or cast away from society but that they cannot feel pain. It is their biggest cause for mental anguish. They want to feel physical pain! Why? Because pain is good for us. It tells us we are alive. It allows us to quickly move if too close to a fire or pull our hand away if being bit by an insect or starting to be shut in a door. They cannot feel so cannot respond and degradation happens they cannot even feel it. How do you know you are alive if you don’t feel pain? Pain tells us to stop or move or acknowledges your presence. Pain is shared by humanity. It is something we all experience. Lepers miss this aspect of humanity. A lack of pain feels even more isolating and lonely.

I come back to this topic because pain is valuable as a tool for growth in relationship with Jesus Christ and otber people also. Pain allows us to share each others’ burdens and to lift our burdens to Christ for help. This is a bonding experience. When I gave birth to my children, it was painful. I bonded with my children through that pain. Pain bonds us. It is not a fun bonding but it is deep.

Pain also tells you not to do it again. We need these reminders. Pain also can pinpoint where somethi g needs to be done, it is a call to action. This is priceless to protect ourselves and get help from God or a professional or both.

So, don’t be so quick to run away from pain, is what my point is. Bring it to Jesua Christ and seek out healing or remedy, explore where it comes from, get help when and where needed, grow closer to Jesus. The answer is in the truth and healing and relationship with Jesus, not in a temporary bandaid or false promise the lying world has to offer. Look to Jesus. Read the Bible. Pray. Reach out if you want me to pray for you.😃❤️

The Precious Pain Box

Hanging on to a deep hurt from our past is like clenching a secret box of pain or bad choices or addiction that we have made a treasure of. We protect it. We keep it. We, like Gallum of the Lord of the Rings book series by J. R. Tolkien, call it “my precious” and would die to keep it and protect it.

Meanwhile, this protected box, though feeling familiar and safe and only ours, is killing us softly, keeping us bondage to it. We think we are holding our box but that box is holding us.

How do you feel safe enough to let it go? Only one way. We have to choose to do so. We have to humbly want to put the box down. As soon as we want Him to, God will take it from you. And He is with you along the way trying to get your attention to let you know life is better without that evil box we have been treasuring. Forgiveness is release of the pain and hurt in full pardon- you choose to forgive. Prayer is a powerful tool to help get you there. Love is too.

Let me encourage you by saying how freeing and light is to put the bad box treasure down. You feel as though you can fly without it. It is beautiful! And God is so very good!😄❤

Gig Joy & Pain

We love gigging. It is how we met, is extra pocket money for us, is a shared music passion, is our only mutual hobby and really all we do together other than eat. So gigging with our band or at church is amazing to us, we live it. God gives us joy but we get our sheer happiness and bliss from music, the talent God gave us.

However, as we are not younger and younger but quite the opposite is in fact true, it is quite a pain to load and unload the equipment twice per gig, lots of gear and we carry for everyone. It is a lot, it is heavy, and it is time consuming. We try to minimize this by having our kids be our roadies (for a little pocket money). This helps but today that didn’t work because they were not here. And as my husband’s knees are needing replacement, I have the crux of the load. It is a lot of work.

But I have never been a stranger to hard work. And to be truthful (and please add dramatic pause for I am about to make a deep, poignant statement), you receive much fuller joy when you have to work for it, even if it hurts. When it costs something, it is worth more. When you work for it, it is sweeter.😄 ❤