What No One’s Told You About Pain
Let’s talk about adventure. Lots of people assume that adventure requires big risks, far away places, recklessness even. But, here’s the danger — when we assume that’s the only place adventure exists. What if we’re missing the adventure that’s already right in front of us? What if we miss the adventure of being present?
So, how do we use presence to put our pain in its place?
See, this is, at times, a very pain filled life… and the world says your life must be hurried and productive to be worthy. That’s a lie. Get still and turn up your senses. Try to remind your mind to be alive in a moment. Engage what is on the surface and it will take you below it. That’s the good stuff, that’s where depth of life is found.
We need to open our eyes to wonder so we can work through the pain.
I know the concept of being thankful for pain may seem contrived or arduous. But have you noticed that whenever you are hurting, your hunger to seek out beauty grows stronger? Desperate to ease the pain, desperate for a sign of joy beyond this, you notice the bumblebee that lands on the flower? Mountains and lakes and butterflies and stars and a sky that can reveal every color imaginable?
At these things you think, ‘That is wonderful.’ Your pain unzips that your compassion, which opens your eyes to this life as you think, “I’ve been missing this.” Pain can do that. Pain can make us remember what matters. Pain can give birth to beauty.
So next time you stare out at the rolling hills passing through the car window, maybe you’ll see... the hills are the pasture which is the food for the animals which is our food and we’re all created from the majesty of our grand Designer. When we remember that we’re small, we remember hope is big... bigger than we are. When we’re in pain we’re in a position to start looking. And we’ll always find what we’re looking for.
Gratitude is the great perspective shifter. The pain which happened to me altered the composition of who I am and opened me to receive more. I’ll meet pain again, but when I do, I know beauty resides just over the hill.
‘He will satisfy the longing soul and the hungry heart he will fill with more.’ Psalm 107:9