214 – I Can’t Live With The Pain. It Hurts

#faithbites #faithjourney hurts.

Getting older stinks some times. I love that I am older as my mind is sharper, I’m more secure, and I have more experience to draw upon. The downside is that it feels like my body is falling apart. The tiredness, the creaks, cracks, and pops. While some of this can be improved with diet and excersie, some of it is part of getting older.

The other day, I was thinking about my bum knee. It has been getting worse day after day, limiting what I can do. Right before I went to the doctor yesterday, I though “I Can’t Live Like This” and “I’d rather not live if this is the pain I’m going to be in”.

Those thoughts lasted for a second or two when I really thought about it. I love life. The ups, the downs, the pains, the aches, and the loves are all part of it. I don’t want to die but live. I was ashamed of myself for even thinking I’d rather die than live like this. There are many people who have pain so severe that death seems like an option for them. This post isn’t about those folks, but rather what we think we can live with and not live with.

Yes, my knee sucks, but man do I have so much to give thanks to the Lord.

Scripture on Living When it Hurts

• For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. – Romans 8:18
• More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, – Romans 5:3-4

Reflection

I am sitting here typing this with pain shooting through my knees. The doctors have suggestions but no guaranteed solutions. The only guarantee is this pain will get worse until an eventual knee replacement. The Lord tells us that we will have Glory and all of these sufferings will pale in comparison. There is the old saying “that which does not kill us, makes us stronger”. In many ways that is a derivative of the Romans 5:3-4 verse. I look at my pain and suffering to see how I can use it to help others. One way is changing my daily routine a bit with diet and exercise so I live longer. The other is through sharing my story in #faithbites and other conversations. This helps others who are suffering to know they are not alone and that while we all have hurts and pains when working in a community, we can survive and thrive.

Charge

What is your pain and hurt? Is there something that makes you consider that you can’t go on like this? Are you willing to share this with others and God? The act of sharing, while it may not bring physical relief, it can bring some emotional comfort.

I am willing to share my physical, spiritual, and mental hurt with others with God’s help.